Download
Items of Interest
Welcome Extension/Research Associate, Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn
Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn joined the Southern Rural Development Center earlier this month in the position of Extension/Research Associate.
Roseanne is a graduate of Wright State University, in Dayton, Ohio, and Mississippi State University. Before coming to SRDC, she was an Extension Educator for Ohio State University.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Roseanne.
Association of Extension Administrators (AEA) Releases Report: 1890 Extension Transforming Lives
Each year, 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southern region share research-based information with limited-resource families, businesses, and communities to empower them to reach their goals through their Cooperative Extension programs. This is done by improving the profitability and sustainability of small-scale farm businesses and providing families with the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. They provide services in five key areas: nutrition and health; economic prosperity; youths, families, and communities; environmental stewardship; and small-scale farming. To read about these southern region transformations, please view the report 1890 Transforming Lives
Southern Rural Development Website Preview
The Southern Rural Development Center recently announced the launch of its redesigned website. The goal of the new site is to provide users with an enhanced digital experience to include SRDC’s programs, events, news, and opportunities for training.
Areas of the site that might be of interest, include articles and briefs concerning critical issues in the region, training curriculum, and current programs just to name a few.
To see these and other updates to the site, please visit https://srdc.msstate.edu/.
Grant Connections
USDA Seeks Applications to Strengthen Community and Economic Development in Rural Communities Across America
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants that will improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas around the country. USDA is making the grants available under the Rural Community Development Initiative program. The program provides grants to organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance for housing, community facilities, or community and economic development projects.
Full Stakeholder Announcement
Job Opportunities
Assistant Administrator, Community Development and Outreach, Fort Valley State University
Open until filled.
The assistant Administrator for Community Development and Outreach will develop, coordinate, and facilitate programming through the Cooperative Extension Program designed to assist communities to realize their long-term goals; through provision of education, technical assistance, and opportunities to secure grants that support strategic planning and community visioning to provide a foundation for economic development. Coordinate or assist in the coordination of programs through outreach efforts with USDA Agencies, State, private and public and nonprofit entities. Master's degree in Agricultural Economics, economics, business administration or other business disciplines is required. Preference will be given to applicants with extension and strong community development experiences. Applicants with degrees in closely related disciplines with community development experiences may also apply.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Food Safety, Family & Consumer Sciences Department, University of Tennessee
Open until filled.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Department is looking to fill the position of Assistant Professor, Nutrition. The position will work to develop and teach effective, research-based nutrition programs across the state, which enhance the lives of Tennesseans. The position will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams within and outside of the FCS department and the university to contribute to the mission of the FCS department, UT Extension, and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA).
Associate Professor, Community Health, Family & Consumer Sciences Department, University of Tennessee
The position of Associate Professor in Community Health, Family & Consumer Sciences Department is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing research-based adult and you Extension programs in nutrition to promote safe food handling practices, healthy dietary habits, and to improve health and nutritional status among Tennesseans, including, but not limited to, Extension programs for diet-related disease prevention and management, food safety, and food preservation.
Non-Tenure Track Assistant Research Professor, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
Open until filled.
The NERCRD seeks applications for a one-year Non-Tenure Track Assistant Research Professor, with good chances of renewal, subject to funding. The Non-Tenure Track Assistant Research Professor will be responsible for conducting economic and statistical analyses on a wide range of rural development topics, as determined by the Center’s emerging needs and priorities. There is a strong expectation that this research will contribute both to the science base as well as to informing U.S. rural economic development policy. Importantly, the opportunity exists to work with Penn State’s Census Data Center. Examples of topics to be studied range from policy impact assessments (including the impact of farm subsidies, agritourism activities and extension education); to the interdependence of rural and urban areas, as well as agricultural and non-agricultural industries; to the determinants of local economic well-being and health.
Candidates should upload a letter of application, names, and addresses of three professional references, curriculum vitae, and official transcripts at the time of application. Questions can be directed to Stephan J. Goetz, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, The Pennsylvania State University at sjg16@psu.edu. The position will remain open until filled.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Tech
Open until filled.
The Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education (ALCE), in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Virginia Tech, invites applications for a Research Assistant Professor with a focus on interdisciplinary and community-based food systems research. This is a 12-month, non-tenure track position with full benefits and the opportunity for promotion. The position will support the Virginia Tech (VT) Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, which is housed in CALS as an Extension and outreach center with community-based programming, research, and teaching aims and activity. Through its community-based and participatory work, the Center asserts the importance of epistemic justice and inclusion by valuing and uplifting diverse forms of knowledge and ways of knowing. As such, we encourage those committed to the promotion of justice and equity as core values in their scholarship to apply.
Conferences, Workshops, Trainings
National Extension Tourism (NET) 2023 National Conference
In-person: September 24-27, 2023, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This year’s conference theme is “Envisioning the Future of Extension in Tourism.” This is an opportunity for Extension professionals, academic faculty, industry professionals, and others working in the broad area of tourism and recreation, including tourism service providers and businesses, to share programs, initiatives, research, and success stories, and network with other professionals. The conference is open to all industry and academic professionals.
Extension Disaster Education Network Conference
In-person: September 26-29, 2023, Savannah, Georgia
2023 Professional Agricultural Workers Conference
October 29-31, 2023, Montgomery, Alabama
The Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) is a forum committed to a world that values and promotes equal opportunity equitable access to information and technology for sustainable development of communities and natural resources.
2024 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Conference
In-Person: June 17-20, 2024, Houston Texas