Latest News & Announcements Hot Off the Press: News, Events, and More
The Case for Rural America - A new book in the Rural Studies Series
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The Guardian recently published a story about the closure of a rural hospital in northern California. Many others are likely to follow across the nation, as federal funding streams dry up.
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When enrollments decline, school boards often shutter schools, but this rarely saves money and always hurts kids and communities.
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As the USDA rolls back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, RSS Members Michaela Hoffelmeyer and Ike Leslie are sounding the alarm on the long-term consequences for agriculture and food security.
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Ethnographer Sonya Salamon, past president of the Rural Sociological Society, died on August 16, 2025, at the age of eighty-four.
On the NREA podcast, Dr. Casey Jakubowski discussed teacher retention, community-based practice, and ways rural schools can better support new educators.
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Call for Working Groups for the XVI World Congress of Rural Sociology
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In her latest piece for The Conversation, RSS Member Kristina Brant In her latest piece for The Conversation, RSS Member Kristina Brant sheds light on the harsh realities faced by flood-affected communities in Appalachia. With limited financial resources and few relocation options, many residents are left with no alternative but to rebuild in the same vulnerable locations.
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In The Practice, RSS members Hannah Haksgaard, David Peters, Elizabeth Chambliss, and Lisa R. Pruitt examined the challenges of access to justice and legal education in rural communities.
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Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems announced a Call for Papers for a special issue on “Education and Employment in Sustainable Food Systems,” focusing on curriculum, workforce training, equity, and policy.
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RSS celebrates Florence Becot, honored by the Agricultural Safety and Health Society for research improving rural well-being and agricultural safety.
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In Mongabay, RSS Member Tom Rudel highlighted how reforestation must address social, economic, and ecological dimensions—not just tree planting.
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On Resources Radio, RSS Member Ann Eisenberg discussed how law and policy can drive rural revitalization and economic justice in underserved regions.
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On the Business Scholarship podcast, RSS Member Jessica Shoemaker joins James Tierney to discuss how financial markets are reshaping farmland ownership, raising questions of equity, sustainability, and rural justice.
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The ABA’s Solo and Small-Firm Practice Section honoredHannah Haksgaard, author of The Rural Lawyer (2025), for advancing legal access in rural communities.
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In Farm Crime: An International Perspective, RSS Member Joe Donnermeyer examines how farm-related crime—from equipment theft to environmental violations—plays out across countries and legal systems.
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In Rethinking Spatial Inequality, Linda Lobao and Gregory Hooks explore how policy, power, and history shape rural disparities, offering insights for creating more equitable futures.
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In Bridging the Digital Divide in the US, RSS Member Mildred Warner and colleagues explore state and local innovations to expand broadband, digital literacy, and infrastructure in underserved rural areas.
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On NPR, RSS Member J. Arbuckle’s discussed strategies to encourage farmers to plant cover crops, which reduce fertilizer runoff and help address the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone.”
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A University of Wisconsin study found that rural housing instability worsens health outcomes, linking poverty and housing stress to public health concerns.
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WSU researchers, including RSS Member Jennifer Sherman, are examining the troubling rise in rural jail rates across Washington, uncovering systemic challenges in rural law and justice.
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The Daily Yonder warned that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” could further limit access to legal services in rural America.
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RSS Member, Shelley Clark with co-authors Leslie Root and Karen Benjamin Guzzo, argued that declining U.S. birth rates are more nuanced than popular narratives suggest.
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On NPR, RSS Member Diana Bryant, explained how limited infrastructure and emergency services leave rural communities struggling to recover from natural disasters.
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The Salt Lake Tribune featured RSS Member Alex Theophilus’s research on rural gentrification and community responses to short-term rentals at Bear Lake.
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In the Chicago Tribune, RSS Member Michaela Hoffelmeyer noted that many early-career queer farmers fear internships could place them in unsafe or hostile environments.
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Ann Eisenberg's essay, Why Aren’t We Talking About Rural Voters Anymore?, examines the political and legal implications of rural voter behavior in the 2024 election.
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In Forbes, Dr. Bill Frist highlighted RSS Members Shannon Monnat and Tim Slack on rural health challenges, emphasizing the social, economic, and policy dimensions of care.
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RSS Member Hazel Velasco Palacios, was recognized for her advocacy to improve health care access for farmworkers in Pennsylvania.
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A new study reveals that rural Americans are significantly more engaged in informal economic activities than their urban counterparts—highlighting a vital but often overlooked aspect of rural resilience and survival.
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In The Guardian, RSS President Lisa R. Pruitt, discussed how partisan tensions, disinformation, and federal budget cuts are straining rural communities in Northern California.
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Recent analyses of Trump’s approval ratings highlight how rural political sentiment is shaped by economic hardship, demographic change, and cultural identity.
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Yakima County serves as a case study of Washington’s rural justice crisis, where underfunding and attorney shortages strain public defense and leave many without adequate representation.
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In The Conversation, RSS leaders Hazel Velasco Palacios and Kathleen Sexsmith highlighted how immigration policy changes are worsening labor shortages on Pennsylvania’s mushroom farms.
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RSS Members Shelley Clark and Matthew M. Brooks critiqued Trump-era policies tying transportation funding to marriage and child-rearing, warning of deeper rural deficits in mobility and well-being.
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The New York Times cited research by RSS members Ann Tickamyer, Leif Jensen, and Tim Slack showing how rural realities, including informal economies like bartering, are often overlooked in presidential policy proposals.
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