Download
Items of Interest
SRDC Welcomes 1890 Fellow, Dr. Michelle Eley
Dr. Michelle Eley has been identified as the Southern Rural Development Center’s first 1890 Fellow.
This 1890 Fellow position provides guidance on existing and new project developments to ensure relevant 1890 interests, needs, and assets. It contributes to relevant research reports, assists on the development and delivery of educational and Extension training materials.
Additionally, the position seeks to identify opportunities for mentoring and teaching students from 1890 universities, actively participates in SRDC’s Board and Technical Operating and Advisory Committee (TOAC) meetings, and supports coordination, growth, direction, and development of the SRDC’s Plan of Work.
Dr. Eley is a Community and Economic Development Specialist with the North Carolina A&T State University. She will begin working with the SRDC in mid-fall. Please join us in providing a very warm welcome to Dr. Eley.
Recently Released: SRDC Publications – CREATE BRIDGES
The Southern Rural Development Center along with partners of CREATE BRIDGES recently published research briefs and extended publications. Dr. Sreedhar Upendram and Dr. James Mingie have authored five issue briefs and five extended publications examining the impact of retail pull factors on five states (Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Oklahoma) participating in CREATE BRIDGES. Mark Seitz has authored one issue brief and one extended publication examining the impact of county trade pull factors within the CREATE BRIDGES region in North Carolina.
To view, visit the SRDC’s Special Topics landing page.
Association of Extension Administrators (AEA) and the Association of Southern Rural Extension Directors (ASRED) Announce Extension Awards
The Association of Extension Administrators (AEA) and Association of Southern Region Extension Directors (ASRED) presented their respective Extension awards at the 2023 Southern Region Program Leadership Network (SR-PLN), AEA, and ASRED joint meeting in August in Orlando, Florida.
AEA Award Winners:
- Woodie Hughes Jr., Fort Valley State University Cooperative Extension Assistant Extension Administrator State 4-H Program Leader - 4-H Youth Development.
- Dr. Dahlia O’Brien, Small Ruminant Specialist, and Research Professor at Virginia State University - Agriculture and Natural Resources.
- Dr. Cedric Ogden, Extension Engineering Specialist and Assistant Professor at Fort Valley State University - Community Resource Development.
- Shewana McSwain, Coordinator of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-ED) and Interim Coordinator for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University - Family and Consumer Sciences.
- Walk-a-Weigh Plus (30 for 30 Extension Collaboration) - Team Award nominated by 1890 collaborator Prairie View A&M University.
ASRED Award Winners:
- Dr. Don Renchie, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Pesticide Safety Program Coordinator – Individual Award Runner-Up.
- Dr. Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia Extension, Weed Specialist – Individual Award Winner.
- Dr. Monte Dozier, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Program Director-Disaster Assessment and Recovery - Regional Winner of the Team Award.
- Dr. Laura Perry Johnson, University of Georgia Extension, Associate Dean College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Director - ASRED Distinguished Leadership Award for 2023. The ASRED Award for Excellence in Leadership is a career-long service award for those who lead or make a significant contribution to Extension programs across the Southeast.
Association of Research Directors (ARD) and the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (SAAESD) Inaugural Meeting Held August 2023
SRDC Director reflects on historic meeting of research leaders from 1890 and 1862 Land-Grant Universities.
The Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD) and the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (SAAESD) held a joint meeting in Atlanta, GA on August 11 and 12, 2023. By all accounts, this was a breakthrough meeting for enhancing collaboration. I was pleased to be able to participate and obtain insights on both historical and contemporary challenges faced in advancing research across institutional lines. Importantly, the presenters and participants engaged in dialogue focused on overcoming barriers and working together in the future. Speakers included diverse professionals representing a variety of 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant Universities along with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Given the Southern Rural Development Center’s focus on strengthening the capacity of our Land-Grant Universities to address critical issues, I applaud all meeting participants for the historic convening and look forward to our collaborative future.
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.
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.
Associate Director, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD)
The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) seeks applications for an Associate Director position, which is renewable annually conditional on funding. The individual will lead the Center’s outreach-oriented activities in consultation with the Director by:
- fostering relationships among Northeast land grant universities and rural development partners;
- identifying and responding to opportunities for cross-state collaborations and sharing of extension programs;
- developing and implementing educational programs, including translating scientific findings into practice; and,
- securing grants and conducting nationally recognized outreach activities consistent with the Center’s mission.
The mission of the NERCRD is to work on a range of issues with land grant universities and other Northeast partners as well as nationally in support of regional economic growth and rural development.
Questions can be directed to Stephan J. Goetz, NERCRD Director, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, The Pennsylvania State University at sjg16@psu.edu.
Conferences, Workshops, Trainings
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.
Investing in Rural Prosperity: Successful Approaches to Demographic Shifts Conference
In-person: November 14-15, 2023, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Registration Deadline: November 6, 2023
The Investing in Rural Prosperity: Successful Approaches to Demographic Shifts conference is hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Delta Regional Authority and Southeast Missouri State University, Division of Economic and Workforce Development to discuss the changing population trends affecting rural America and how communities are incorporating the TRIC framework into their responses. Registration is free, but space at this in-person only event is limited. Please register by November 6th. For more information, contact the St. Louis Federal’s Community Development staff at communitydevelopment@stls.frb.org.
2024 Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) Conference
In-person: February 4-5, 2024, Atlanta, Georgia.
Deadline for Abstracts: October 5, 2023.
Theme: Rural Livelihood Stories: Past, Present, and Future
The 2024 SRSA Annual Meeting calls for all forms of scholarly work to share stories, particularly those that address theoretical frameworks, collaborations between scholars, practitioners, and communities, and diverse voices that provide accounts of livelihoods that inform future rural development. The SRSA invites the submission of papers, posters, and panels to discuss the importance of rural livelihoods stories across time, capturing snapshots of communities, struggles, and actions to pursue pathways to resilience that taken together will form a gallery exhibiting rural lives and landscapes.
2024 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Conference
In-Person: June 17-20, 2024, Houston Texas
Save the date for the 2024 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) conference. More information coming soon.