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Items of Interest
2026 Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations
The Southern Rural Development Center is pleased to announce that nominations are being sought for the Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award for 2026. The instructions provided specify information regarding this important award and the deadline for nominations to be received. The award is for superior lifetime work by an individual (not a team) who has made an important contribution to the Extension Community Development area. The award consists of a plaque and $500 stipend. The award is presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, and the awardee is featured on the SRDC’s website and annual report.
Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level: Good News Impacts
After more than four years of intentional outreach and growing community requests for heirs’ property education in Freestone County, Texas, Prairie View A&M University Extension (PVAMU) reached a significant milestone in August and December 2025 with the successful delivery of the Understanding Heirs’ Property at the Community Level training series.
Hosted by PVAMU Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program within the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, the three-part workshop series was held at the Butler Community Center. More than 30 local landowners and residents attended—demonstrating strong and sustained interest in protecting family land and navigating heirs’ property challenges.
Participant engagement remained exceptionally high throughout the series. Approximately 90% of attendees indicated they planned to share the information with family members and loved ones, underscoring the value of accessible, community-centered education on landownership and succession. Post-program feedback highlighted that the workshops were informative, practical, and empowering—equipping participants with knowledge to make informed decisions about land management, legal risk reduction, and future planning.
Strengthening Housing Resilience in Four Arkansas Rural Communities
Submitted by: Hunter P. Goodman and A. Danielle Watson
The success of the series reflects both community-driven demand and the impact of sustained engagement efforts. It also reinforces the growing need for heirs' property education in rural Texas communities.
The Center for Rural Resilience and Workforce Development at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service’s (UADA Extension) mission is to equip Arkansans with sustainable, accessible research-based practices and expertise to create vibrant, self-reliant communities where businesses, organizations, and families thrive. Since March 2025, we have been a part of a multi-organization grant through WinRock International called ASPIRE focused on communication, downtown development and leadership, housing, and hazard mitigation to support four extremely rural communities develop realistic, implementable, and sustainable plans.
We have supported housing resilience in four rural communities within Jefferson and Phillips Counties. With a focus on community development, every community member is valued and must be a part of building a strong, vibrant local community. We focus on what is strong and not what is wrong in a community, and we believe relationships and people are critical assets to a community’s vitality.
Through ASPIRE, our work has centered on building local capacity: strengthening coalitions, preparing communities for climate and public health challenges, and supporting the development of resilient housing infrastructure. These investments empower residents to shape durable, community-driven solutions that will continue to strengthen Jefferson and Phillips Counties for years to come.
Requests for Proposals: Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA)
We are delighted to share the latest request for INRPHA pilot grant proposals. Request for Pilot Research Proposals
Due Date: Friday, April 10, 2026, at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET
With funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) invites investigators to submit proposals for pilot research that enhances understanding of the multilevel and multidimensional drivers of rural health and aging trends and disparities, with emphasis on within-rural heterogeneity. INRPHA seeks proposals that will advance science in this important area and that will lead to fundable NIH grant proposals. Pilot projects will begin as early as July 1, 2026.
Direct questions to the INRPHA PI, Carrie Henning-Smith, at henn0329@umn.edu.
INRPHA is funded by NIA grant 1R24AG089064 and led by Carrie Henning-Smith (University of Minnesota), Leif Jensen (Penn State), Shannon Monnat (Syracuse University), John Green (Southern Rural Development Center/Mississippi State University), and Lori Hunter (University of Colorado Boulder).
About RRS: The Review of Regional Studies (ISSN 0048-749X) publishes high-quality theoretical and empirical social science research in which the spatial dimension plays a fundamental role. The journal is the official publication of the Southern Regional Science Association and provides an open-access platform for interdisciplinary scholarship that informs regional policy and practice.
Job Postings
Administrative Assistant I, Southern Rural Development Center
The Administrative Assistant I position, is a full-time position located on the campus of Mississippi State University.
This position supports the daily operations of a busy office by coordinating schedules, managing workflow, and helping streamline administrative processes. The role also assists with data collection, report preparation, and communication across the department to keep operations running smoothly. Candidates must have a high school diploma and four years of related experience, with preferred qualifications including a bachelor’s degree in business or accounting and experience with fund accounting.
Access more information and the application for the Administrative Assistant I position with SRDC.
Editor/Co-Editor, Local Development and Society Journal
The journal Local Development & Society (LD&S) was launched in 2020 as a partnership between the Community Development Society and Taylor and Francis (also branded as Routledge). The journal will begin its 7th year of production with the editing process managed by Rhonda G. Phillips, Ph.D., and Norman Walzer, Ph.D., as founding co-editors with Sofia Kotsiri, Ph.D., as managing editor. LD&S operates independently from Community Development and publishes 3 issues per year with an average of 10 articles per issue.
It also publishes book reviews with Josh Newton, Ph.D., serving as book review editor, along with commentaries that are reviewed by the editorial team. LD&S has an editorial board of 16 members located in five countries.
View more information about the journal, the position responsibilities, and access the application.
Conferences, Workshops, Trainings
Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference
In-person: April 20-21, 2026, in Bethesda, Maryland
ACCESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION
National Rural Grocery Summit
In-person: May 5-7, 2026, in Fargo, North Dakota
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP)
In-person: June 15-18, 2026, in Wichita, Kansas
Community Development Society (CDS) Annual Conference
In-person: July 19-22, 2026, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia
Rural Sociological Society Meeting
In-person: July 29-August 1, 2026, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Raleigh, North Carolina
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Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East
In-person: September 15-16, 2026, IALR Conference Center, Danville, Virginia
Southern Region Planning Leadership Network Meeting
In-person: August 17-20, 2026, New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, Louisiana