of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development |
|
|
|
Dear students, faculty, alumni and friends,
|
As we look back on the incredible energy of this year’s commencement, I want to offer my warmest congratulations to the historic Class of 2026. Your journey to this milestone has been forged through genuine grit and unyielding integrity. As you step out of the S&T educational setting, these two core traits — your willingness to persevere through difficult, ambiguous problems and your commitment to doing what is right — will serve as your ultimate anchor and greatest competitive advantage in a world undergoing a profound technological transformation. We are engaged in important conversations regarding your careers and the massive paradigm shifts in global employment, rewriting the nature of work across every technical and creative industry.
This evolution of the workforce is driven by three rapid, successive milestones in artificial intelligence that are fundamentally re-evaluating the role of human labor:
|
-
The Turing Test: Successfully cleared by modern models that routinely break behavioral boundaries, as detailed in the May 19 publication regarding the UC San Diego Turing Test Benchmark.
-
Functional AGI: The arrival of autonomous systems capable of executing complex engineering and multi-file coding workflows, tracked live on the SWE-bench Leaderboard.
-
The Question of Consciousness: The ongoing technical safety efforts to map the values and behavior of autonomous entities, highlighted by Anthropic's New Claude Constitution.
|
|
|
|
As evidenced by Pope Leo XIV’s landmark Vatican encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, AI will not soon replace the distinct grandeur, moral conscience, and unique capacity for relationship inherent to human beings. As you explore the stories below celebrating the phenomenal achievements and heartwarming triumphs of our students and researchers this past year, let them remind you of what human ingenuity can achieve. Go forward with confidence, knowing that your grit will allow you to navigate this new frontier, and your integrity will ensure you lead it for the greater good.
Sincerely,
|
|
|
|
Excelling in economics and soccer |
Rodrigo Vargas, left, and João Vieira are roommate and pursuing master’s degrees in economics and innovation (MEI).
“Rodrigo and I motivate each other to give our best both on the soccer field and in the classroom,” Vieira says. “We have built a brotherhood that will last a lifetime.”
|
|
|
|
Effat Eskandari was drawn to S&T’s strong research environment, and for a research project focused on sustainable water and land management with entrepreneurial potential.
She says one of the most meaningful moments of her Kummer I&E Fellowship came in February 2024, when she represented S&T in a U.S. Department of Agriculture program.
|
|
|
|
I&E Fellow feels the heat |
|
|
|
Whether he’s conducting research on extreme environments or responding to an emergency as a volunteer firefighter, Ph.D. student Matik Heskin, center, has built his life around heat, pressure and quick problem solving.
|
|
|
|
A cleaner coat: Students launch ‘green’ paint startup |
|
|
|
Karly Butts, left, and Adrianna Sasser and didn’t expect a class project at Missouri S&T to turn into a business. Now, the two are developing sustainable paints through their startup, MicroHues.
Not only did the pair win first place in S&T’s Startup Challenge in December 2025 with a $4,000 prize and receive additional funding through the university’s Business Accelerator Program pitch competition, they also won a cash prize from Venture Well in March to continue to develop their paints.
|
|
|
|
Student teams brought imagination and engineering together during the Miner Creativity Challenge, sponsored by Kummer Student Programs.
Team “Cymatic Sandbox” won first place from both judges and the kid’s choice award, earning a combined total of $4,000 on April 29 at the Havener Center. From left: team members Noah Johnson, Sophia Williams and Klajdi Hysenaj.
|
|
|
|
Dr. Casey Canfield, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering, has been selected as a fellow for the Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) Fellowship, a national two-year program to help researchers strengthen the impact of their work. Canfield was chosen as one of five fellows.
|
|
| |
|
Dr. Peggy Lindner has been named the Robert B. Koplar Professor in Engineering Management. The professorship recognizes a faculty member in engineering management who demonstrates excellence in teaching with a strong emphasis on the use of technology in the classroom. She often contributes to Team Innovation Projects.
|
|
| |
|
Congratulations to all Kummer College graduates! We’re proud of all you’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see where your future takes you.
|
|
|
|
Follow Kummer College on social media |
|
|
|
Please email your noteworthy news to Kaitlin Brothers, newsletter editor, at kmb8c7@mst.edu.
|
|
|
|
Missouri University of Science and Technology
|
228 Engineering Management 600 W. 14th St. | Rolla, MO 65409 US
1-800-522-0938
|
|
| |
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
|
