UP Gazette

Lake Superior State University will host Dr. Christopher Merrett, an expert in rural economic and community development, for a public lecture on October 23, 2025. The event will take place at 6 p.m. in the Kenneth J. Shouldice Library Learning Commons and is open to the public at no cost.

Dr. Merrett’s talk, titled “Planning for Sustainable Community Economic Development in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” will focus on demographic and economic changes in the Upper Midwest. The presentation will discuss issues such as population decline, an aging workforce, and technological changes. Dr. Merrett will also address ways to promote local development through planning, entrepreneurship, and cooperative efforts.

During his visit, Dr. Merrett will also meet with economics students at Lake Superior State University to discuss how economic theory connects with environmental and regional development.

Dr. Merrett is the Dean for Innovation and Economic Development at Western Illinois University and Executive Director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. He has served on the Illinois Governor’s Rural Affairs Council for twenty years and is involved with the Farm Equity and Food Insecurity Advisory Council for Illinois and the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Visioning Alliance for Rural Resiliency. He was also a member of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s transition team in 2018-19. Dr. Merrett has written or co-written over 180 publications and has been cited by media outlets more than 400 times.

Dr. Merrett is originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and graduated from Lake Superior State University in 1986. He will receive the university’s Kenneth J. Shouldice Professional Achievement Award during his visit.

"Planning for Sustainable Community Economic Development in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula," will examine demographic and economic trends in the Upper Midwest, with a focus on the UP. It will address challenges like population decline, an aging workforce, and technological advancements, while highlighting opportunities for locally driven development through strategic visioning, entrepreneurship, and cooperative initiatives.