Scott Rowe is an Assistant Professor in Western Carolina University’s School of Engineering + Technology. He joined WCU in 2021 after studies in concentrated solar power and controls engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. That training was applied to pilot plant construction, which included factory acceptance and facility commissioning, endeavors that enabled the launch and capitalization of new business ventures. Scott seeks to assist operations and engineering development at companies in the Smokey Mountains via avenues that promote student education at Western Carolina University. Transferable skills include molecular biology, automation, process engineering, programming, optimization, separations, reaction kinetics and model predictive control. Scott’s research relates to accessible and inexpensive technology for laboratory education.