Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for the work accomplished in this effort are the faculty and professional staffs of the southern region's 30 Land-Grant Universities. Other audiences of the program include the partners of the southern Land-Grant University system, including faculty and professional staffs of the Land-Grant University system in other regions of the country, state economic and social development agencies, local community stakeholders, governmental policy makers at all levels, policy analytical organizations, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Changes/Problems:As we navigate new 1890 relationship-building, SRDC has worked very closely with developing a model alongside the Executive Directors of the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Research Directors. This has taken three rounds of shaping and reshaping as we navigate this new opportunity. We are hopeful that future funding could help support this work in a sustained manner. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?9/19-20/2022, Building Community Around Grant Writing, Virtual. 10/3/20222, Understanding the Digital Equity Landscape and Extensions Role, Virtual. 10/25-26/2022, Coming Together for Racial Understanding Convening. Atlanta, GA. 10/31/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing-Part I, Virtual. 11/8-9/2022, Curriculum Development Meeting. Oklahoma City, OK. 11/21/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing-Part II, Virtual. 11/29-30/2022, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Atlanta, GA. 12/5/2022, Broadband Issues Briefing, Part III, Virtual. 12/6/2022, National Community Resource and Economic Development (CRED) Working Group Webinar- "Success Stories from the Pandemic", Virtual. 12/14-16/2022, SERA-47 2022 Annual Meeting, Virtual. 1/11/2023, Strengthening Meaningful Relationships among 1994, 1890, and 1862 Institutions: A Starting Point, Virtual. 11/15/2023, Building capacity to write winning grants. Workshop at the annual meeting of the Professional Agricultural Workers. Montgomery, AL. 2/3 - 4/2023, SOUL Coming Together Facilitator Training, Starkville, MS. 2/21 - 22/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Arlington, VA. 3/20-4/27/2023, SOUL Coming Together for Racial Understanding dialogues, Starkville, MS. 3/21-6/28/2023, Building Grant Writing Capacity training series, Virtual. 3/27/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level (Overview & Prevention), Chicago, IL. Moving DEIA Forward - Training series developed and tested in collaboration with USDA NIFA. Five cohorts with each meeting over five weeks. Virtual. Cohort 1 - March 29 - April 26 Cohort 2: May 2 - May 30 Cohort 3: June 7 - July 5 Cohort 4: July 11 - August 8 Cohort 5: August 23 - Sept. 20 4/5/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level (Resolution), Virtual. 4/7 - 5/12/2023, Coming Together for Racial Understanding Affinity Guide Pilot, Virtual. 4/19/2023, Advancing knowledge about climate resilience and population change: Roles for social scientists in Experiment Station research. Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, Spring Meeting, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. 5/6 - 7/2023, Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Dallas, TX. 5/8/2023, Community Resource and Economic Development Indicators Working Group Webinar: "Communicating Our Impacts", Virtual. 6/22/2023, Preparing for the 2023 Southern Region Program Leaders Network Joint Meeting: A Briefing of State Program Leaders' Committee Chairs, Virtual. 6/22-23/2023, Delta Regional Forum, Clarksdale, MS. 6/26-27/2023, Project development and proposal writing, sessions I and II. Presented to the Delta Scholars Program. Mississippi State, MS. 8/17/2023, Heirs' Property. Promoting Innovation Virtual Idea Symposium, University of Kentucky, Virtual. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Quarterly calls - SRDC Board of Directors and Technical Operations & Advisory Committee quarterly calls and annual meeting (October 18-20, 2022, January 9, 11; April 11, 12; July 10,12,2023. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, monthly calls, Regional Rural Development Center updates. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband and Digital Access Program Action Team. October 6, 2022, Building the capacity to invest in rural prosperity through cross-sector collaboration. Panel with the Council on Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics, Virtual. December 5, 2022, Investing in rural recovery: Key findings from the Broadband Listening Session Report. Southern Rural Development Center. Briefing. Bi-monthly calls - Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meetings (; October 12, 2022; December 7, 2022; February 8, 2023; April 12, 2023; June 7, 2023; July 12, 2023, August 21-24, 2023). January 23-26, 2023, Joint meeting of the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Research Directors, Hilton Head, SC. January 27, 2023, Southern Region, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. February 28, 2023, Investing in rural recovery: Key findings from the Sothern Region Listening Report. Southern Rural Development Center Briefing, Virtual. April 30 - May 3, 2023, National Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meeting and Regional Rural Development Center information booth, National Community Development Extension Professionals Conference, Coeur d'Alene, ID. May 16, 2023, SOUL Community Action Forum, Starkville, MS. August 21-24, 2023, Southern Region Program Leadership Network Joint Meeting, Orlando, FL. CREATE BRIDGES: Phase I monthly calls, September 2022 - November 2022 (last Tuesday of the month); January 2023 - August 2023 (last Monday of the month). Phase II monthly calls, September 2022 - December 2022 (second Monday of the month); January 2023 - August 2023 (last Monday of the month). SRDC maintains and disseminates information through several active listservs dedicated to specific stakeholder group needs including broadband, heirs' property, National Community Development Program Leaders, eight State Program Leader groups in the Southern Region, local/regional foods, Regional Rural Development Centers, Coming Together for Racial Understanding teams. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the coming year, SRDC leadership and staff will continue progressing towards the goals. This plan has been informed by the SRDC's TOAC and approved by the Board of Directors, with significant input along the way from the 1862 and 1890 research and Extension regional associations, coupled with insights from the RRDC's listening sessions and the SRDC Directors visit to the 1994 Land Grant in the Southern Region. (1) Developing Pathways to Resilient Communities: • Engaging in community priority setting for rural development which can aid in identifying critical needs of underserved areas: Although the RRDC's listening session initiative was wrapped up, efforts to disseminate information in the form of briefs and a journal article continue. Additionally, the SRDC is collaborating with the multi-state Rural Population Research Network (W5001) to hold listening session in fall 2023 focused on population research needs to inform Extension and rural development needs. • The SRDC will continue to help facilitate work with the SERA-47 Local and Regional Food Systems multistate project. This will involve assistance with operations, supporting the annual meeting, and monitoring future opportunities. • Engaging with broadband issues more widely, SRD efforts around digital access and literacy will include efforts to facilitate work of the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) alongside the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Program Action Team (curriculum development, metrics identification, research), collaboration with the 1890 system to build capacity to aid underserved communities in digital access with the existing AFRI grant, and continued publication of the Issue Briefs series. • Heirs' property work will entail support for developing a regional Extension and research working group under the anticipated SERA, continued coordination of the AFRI project entitled, The Racial Wealth Gap, Persistent Poverty, and Heirs' Property: Analysis, Connections, Solutions, final publication of an heirs' property special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences, and hosting up to three train-the-trainer workshops in cooperation with the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Center. • A program area with potential national reach, Coming Together for Racial Understanding efforts will continue with support for the 32 states that have trained Coming Together state teams. Additional efforts will include work to build capacity for dialogues through more training, evaluation of the impacts and lessons learned from this work dissemination through briefs, engagement with NIFA on co-learning, and broader efforts to strengthen DEI efforts in the Southern LGU System. • Support the ECOP DEI Program Action Team - SRDC will be working with ECOP to transition to a new co-leadership team in fall 2023. SRDC will continue to support the team's objectives including development of a repository, launching a community of practice, and hosting a webinar on collaborations that work. 2) Building Strategic Partners • CREATE BRIDGES will involve continued efforts with the six pilot states to explore ways to strengthen the retail economic sector in rural places. Issue briefs to be developed and disseminated that address lessons learned and recommendations for others. • Expanding rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, focusing on needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and communities: This part of the workplan is complete. No further activities are planned for the coming year. • Assisting with developing materials for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): This part of the workplan is complete. No further activities are planned for the coming year. • The SRDC will continue its long-term support and involvement with the Southern Region Program Leadership Network (PLN), including assistance with the work of PLN and the Program Leadership Committee's efforts to plan for the annual joint meeting. • Facilitation of the gathering and reporting of Southern Region Community Resource Development (CRD) Indicators will continue. Summary reports will be made available and widely disseminated among partner institutions for their use. 3) Mobilizing Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities • Building from the strong foundation set with SRDC involvement in the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging, work in the coming year will broaden the scope to address research and Extension efforts for supporting healthy communities across the life course. This will entail mentorship for early career scholars, pursuit of collaborative publication efforts, and organizing a proposal development workshop in collaboration with the Association of 1890 Research Directors. • Examining issues at the intersections of existing SRDC initiatives and insights from listening session data, with a particular focus on issues related to disparities: Drawing from presentation of listening session results and dialogue with the 1890 LGU System leadership in research and Extension, the SRDC 1890s Fellow position will be implemented. ?

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? As this funding period closes, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) worked to build capacity among the thirty southern Land Grant Institutions, including 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions. This work included research, Extension, and integrated efforts that crossed organizational and state boundaries to advance rural development efforts regionally and nationally. This work is guided by SRDC's Technical and Operational Committee and Board of Directors, and regular updates were provided to these bodies as well as the 1862 and 1890 Extension and Experiment Station/Research Directors' organizations and the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, composed of 1890 and 1862 professionals. Accomplishments under the three priorities are summarized below: (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. (1) Under Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities: Supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative: SRDC helps facilitate the SERA 47 work plan, which was approved for a second cycle last year. Specifically, SRDC helped to organize and facilitate the annual meeting, and helped build leadership capacity in the group. Increasing broadband access and adoption by working with the National Digital Education Extension Team: SRDC facilitated monthly peer-to-peer sessions with states that were piloting the NDEET planning process received during the spring 2022 training. More details are here: https://srdc.msstate.edu/ecommerce/advancing-digital-access.html. Also, through an AFRI funded project in partnership with five 1890 partners, SRDC developed and analyzed a national survey of digital skill needs by program area within Extension (n= 659). These data and partner insights helped identify digital skills most needed to help new digital adopters gain use of broadband resources. Both NDEET and 1890 AFRI teams will continue to work to design relevant training to address these identified needs. Growing research and Extension collaboration around heirs' property issues: Working with the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center, SRDC and a team of colleagues developed and delivered five train-the-trainer workshops on "Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level" designed to prepare Extension professionals to help educate families around heirs' property issues including both prevention and resolution. To date, over 150 professionals have attended the workshops from 32 states. An AFRI research project is investigating linkages among heirs' property, persistent poverty, and the racial wealth gap. SRDC also facilitated development of a Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA) initiative application, which is in final review. Expanding civil dialogue efforts around race and ethnicity: SRDC continues to support Coming Together for Racial Understanding state training teams through monthly calls which include addressing challenges and providing additional training. Two Learning Lab dialogues were conducted which allowed for new dialogue facilitators to grow their skills for leading future sessions. SRDC also developed a five-session series to aid in developing strategies to foster more inclusive and welcoming spaces. These sessions were piloted with five cohort groups (80 participants total). The Coming Together research team developed four issue briefs around key issues related to the dialogue efforts. These are in the final editing stages with plans to publish in fall 2023. Examining opportunities for the Community Resource Development program area to effectively respond to regional needs amplified by COVID-19: SRDC facilitated efforts within Southern Region Community Development State Program Leaders to capture impacts of efforts to help mitigate COVID challenges (these are posted here: https://srdc.msstate.edu/impacts/southern-region-impacts). Also, SRDC worked with the other three Regional Rural Development Centers to launch a national survey and series of listening sessions focused on national and regional rural priorities. This year, results were disseminated through a series of reports and webinars. These touched on COVID challenges and presented at several national and regional venues (more information is available at: https://www.usu.edu/rrdc/listening-sessions). (2) Under Building Strategic Partnerships: Shepherding CREATE BRIDGES which is designed to explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail which often makes up a large portion of rural employment: CREATE BRIDGES, has been piloted in six states. Through SRDC's leadership, the pilot regions in these states have completed planning phases and are now implementing strategies for strengthening retail/tourism business sectors. A post-conference workshop at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals highlighted the program and lessons learned. In fall 2023, a final evaluation will help in synthesizing lessons learned. The process for gathering the final impact data has been developed over this past year. Also, two issue briefs related to early learnings are under final review. Expanding rural resources to promote prosperity in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement: SRDC developed a set of resources to support work with socially disadvantaged farmers and communities addressing topics such as basic grant writing, heirs' property, and farm financial management. A grant writing curriculum was developed and offered virtually (69 participants), and survey tools were created for use by OPPE to gather information on needs of 2501 grantee. SRDC compiled a report based on the responses (n=59). This completed efforts funded by OPPE. This year, the grant writing curriculum was adapted and offered to a cohort of 1890 collaborators in partnership with the Extension Foundation and the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension program. Supporting leadership development efforts in the Southern Region Program Leadership Network: SRDC facilitated the SRPLN annual joint meeting. SRDC also supported efforts of the eight work groups on their regional plans of work throughout the year and maintains the network's website (http://srpln.msstate.edu/) and listservs. Coordinating development of the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report: SRDC compiled the 2022-23 Impact Report through data gathered from Southern Region CRD State Program Leaders (https://srdc.msstate.edu/impacts/southern-region-impacts). SRDC also compiled data across the nine-year span of the report to examine trends and aggregate numbers. (3) For Mobilize Resources Around Emerging Issues and Opportunities: Mobilizing resources around emerging issues and opportunities by assisting with a national scan of priorities for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): SRDC assisted EDEN in developing overview materials related to their environmental scan and priority setting process.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Coleman, M. and Garner, R. (2022, October). Strengthening the Southern region Extension and Research System to support local & regional foods needs and priorities. Presentation at the 2022 National Agricultural Marketing Summit, Pensacola Beach, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Emery, M., Langford, G., Choudhary, A. (2023, February). Are we making a difference? Presentation for Coming Together for Racial Understanding National Team, overview of process and findings, Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Emery, M., Langford, G., Choudhary, A. (2023, March). Are we making a difference? Presentation for a Ripple Effect Mapping Community of Practice with an emphasis on the Ripple Effect Mapping process, Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garner, R. (2022, November). An assessment: Using the Community Capitals Framework in understanding community needs in agriculture and food systems. Presentation at 2022 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Fall Webinar Series, Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Goulding, S., Kelley, P., Green, J., & Lichter, D. (2022). Rural economy and governance. Panel at Population matters: Demography and wellbeing in rural America symposium. Rural Population Research Network. Washington, DC. Hybrid.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Green, J. (2022, October). Reimagining rural: Roles for rural development with examples from the digital age. Invited Keynote Presentation. Rural Studies Conference at The Pennsylvania State University. Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Garner, R. (2022, November). Heirs Property: Impacts at family, community, and regional levels: A proposed multi-state project. Presentation at the 2022 Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Montgomery, AL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. (2023, August). Rural development in the digital age: Exploring information and communication technology through social inclusion. Presidential address at the Annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Burlington, VT
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. (Moderator). (2023, August). Year-4 pilot projects: Preview of new INRPHA research. Session at the Annual Meeting of the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging. Pennsylvania State University (Virtual).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J., Jensen, L. & Monnat, S. (2023, February). Rural population health and aging: An introduction and facilitated dialogue session for collaborative research. Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Oklahoma City, OK.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Green, J. & Thompson, G. (2023, February). Climate change, adaption, and pursuit of sustainable possibilities: Interactive dialogue on roles for social scientists. Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Oklahoma City, OK.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G., Siems, S., Bowen, B., Fraser, M., Patrick, M., Odum, S., & Kennedy, Z. (2023, May). CREATE BRIDGES: Fostering economic development through community partnerships. Workshop at the 2023 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Coeur DAlene, ID.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2023, February). 2022 National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES Phase I.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2023, February). 2022 National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES Phase II.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. 2023, July). 2023 Mid-year National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Marini, M., Green, J., & Lecce, G. (2023, August). Western Decline? Hirschmans Responses Across Cultural Areas and the Rural/Urban Divide. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Burlington, VT. August 4.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Siems, S., Langford, G., & Dunn, J. (Eds.). (2023). CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Information sheet, updated. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team. Workshop at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband and Digital Access Program Action Team. Workshop at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Welborn, R. (2023, April). Coming Together for Racial Understanding. Capnote Presentation at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Buys, D., Robertson, M. & Green, J. (2023). The aging agricultural workforce: Opportunities for policy development and intervention. Public Policy and Aging Report. doi: 10.1093/ppar/prad015
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lefmann, T., Snell, S., Famuyide, M., Inguva, S., & Green, J. (2022). Bridging the divide: Urban and rural care through the Right! From the Start initiative. Journal of Rural Social Sciences 37(3). https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol37/iss3/5/
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bailey, C., Dobbs, G.R., Gaither, C.J., & Thomson, R. (2023). Heirs property: Where, how much, and why does it matter? SRDC Heirs Property Issue Brief, 23-1. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/HP-brief-Bailey-Dobbs-Gaither-Thomson-6.2023-final.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Baxter, I. & Upendrum, S. (2022). Broadband impact on education and workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-3. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Dobbs, G.R. & Gaither, C.J. (2023). How much heirs property is there? Using LIGHTBOX + DMP data to estimate heirs property extent in the U.S. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/dobbs_johnson-gaither_pre-print-manuscript-6.5.23_0.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. & Green, J. (2022). Bridging the digital divide in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the South: Individual Digital Capital Survey results. Southern Rural Development Center. http://srdc.msstate.edu/digital-divide/individual-digital-capcity-survey-report.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. & Whitacre, B. (2022). A granular look at internet speeds and demographic groups: Implications for digital equity. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-1. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Stephens, J.L., & Simington, J. (2023). Referral pathways and service connections among heirs' property owners in South Carolina. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Stephens-Simington-Manuscript-Pre-Print-6.26.23.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Thomson, R. & Bailey, C. (2023). Identifying heirs property: Extent and value across the south. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38. https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/thomson_bailey_pre-print-manuscript-5.19.23_0.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Walcott, E., Ostrom, M., Burton, D. & Kay, D. (2023). How facing dialogues on race is fostering systemic change in Cooperative Extension. SRDC Coming Together for Racial Understanding Issue Brief, 23-2. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/coming-together-racial-understanding
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B. & Biedny, C. (2022). State policies that impact rural broadband availability. SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-2. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B. & Gallardo, R. (2022). Broadband availability vs. adoption: Which matters more for economic development? SRDC Digital Access Issue Brief, 22-4. Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/special-topics/digital-access
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kelly, C. (2023, June). Southern Rural Development Center. https://srdc.msstate.edu

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences for the work accomplished in this effort are the faculty and professional staffs of the southern region's 30 Land-Grant Universities. Other audiences of the program include the partners of the southern Land-Grant University system, including faculty and professional staffs of the Land-Grant University system in other regions of the country, state economic and social development agencies, local community stakeholders, governmental policy makers at all levels, policy analytical organizations, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Changes/Problems:Challenges of navigating COVID restrictions and safety protocols continue as work vacillates between virtual and face-to-face as opportunities exist. SRDC will continue to align efforts with best practices for the safety of its stakeholders. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? NIFA Coming Together for Racial Understanding Tasting Sessions, Virtual, January 20, 2022 (two sessions); January 21, 2022 (two sessions), June 15, 2022. September 2021 through August 2022 - Organized meetings of the Broadband Impacts and Quality of Life Research Team, organized through the Southern Rural Development Center and National Digital Education Extension Team. Virtual. September 13, 2021 - SERA-47 Learning Community Webinar Series - "Marketing Strategies to Help a Food Business Grow", Virtual. September 14, 2021 - Stronger Together - Research Based Best Practices for Working with Heir Property Landowners, Virtual. September 30, 2021 - Green, J.J. Invited guest lecture for Introduction to Demography, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Virtual. October 12, 2021 - CRED - "Impact Statement Writing", Virtual. October 13, 2021 - Exploring Extension's Potential in Broadband Efforts. Breakout leader/facilitator for National Extension Directors' Association. October 27, 2021 - Making It Count: Applying Science to Support Universal Broadband Adoption Conference. Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities. November 10, 2021 - Presenters: Dunn, J., Maness, M. & Siems, S. Creating Bridges for the Rural Retail Workforce: Bringing Businesses and Employees Together to Identify Long-Term Employment Solutions for Rural Retail and Tourism. National Extension Tourism Conference, Savannah, GA. November 11, 2021 - SERA-47 Learning Community Webinar Series - "Creating a More Equitable Food System for All", Virtual. December 7, 2021 - Launching Coming Together for Racial Understanding: A Preview for New States. December 7, 2021 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding: An Invitation for New States, Virtual. December 13, 2021 - SERA-47 2021 Annual Meeting, Virtual. December 14, 2021 - SERA-47 2021 Annual Meeting, Virtual. December 15, 2021 - SERA-47 2021 Annual Meeting, Virtual. December 15, 2021 - The Role of Extension in Improving Wealth of Mississippi Landowners and Farmers: "What We Need to Know About Heir Property", Virtual. January 2022 - Authors: Kelly, C., Green, J., Welborn, R., Garner, R., Langford, G., DeFelice, C., & Narmour, L. Southern Rural Development Center Building Bridges Toward Future Prosperity: 2021 Annual Report. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS. January - March 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding Learning Labs (two series), Virtual. January 8, March 1, 8, June 17 (virtual); Omaha, NE. April 26-28, 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding Train-the-Training Workshop, (face to face). January 11, 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding Introduction, Virtual. January 14, 28, February 11, 25, 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding Administrative Leadership Series, Virtual. January 25, 2022. CRED- "Using the Community Capitals Framework to Measure Program Impacts", Virtual. January 27, February 2, 10, 17, March 3, 12, 2022 - NIFA Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation Dialogue Series, Virtual. March 15, 2022. SERA-47 - Informational Meeting, Virtual. March 21, 2022 - Green, J. Population change and rural development: Implications for rural population health. Invited guest lecture for Rural Population Health, University Medical Center School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi. Jackson, MS. March 23, 2022 - Listening Session - Broadband and the Digital Divide, Virtual. March 23, 2022 - Investing in Rural Recovery: National Broadband Listening Session. Virtual. April 8, 2022 - Teixeira Poit, S. & Green, J.J. Serving as a journal editor. Panel session at the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society. Birmingham, AL. April 20, 2022 - Investing in Rural Recovery: Southern Region Listening Session. Virtual. April 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2022 - SOUL Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation, Virtual. May 3-5, 2022 - Advancing Digital Access: Building Extension Capacity to Serve, St. Louis, MO. May 3, 10, 24, June 14, 28, 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding Virtual Upskill Workshop, Virtual. May 16, 2022 - Presenters: Garner, R. & Langford, G. Resolving Heirs' Property Issues: Its Role in Community Sustainability. Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA. May 16, 2022 - Presenters: Langford, G. & Garner, R. CREATE BRIDGES: Sustainable Community Development for Retail, Tourism, Accommodations, and Entertainment. Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA. NIFA Support Acknowledged. June 6, 2022 - Presenters: Langford, G., McCullough, S., Siems, S., Davis, A., Welborn, R. Dunn, J., . . . Mathews, B. CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Poster session presented at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Indianapolis, IN. June 6, 2022 - Editors: Siems, S., Langford, G. & Dunn, J. CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Information sheet, updated. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS. Distributed at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. June 19-July 1, 2022 - Delta Scholars Program for Emerging Undergraduate Leaders, co-organized by the Mississippi State University Shackouls Honors College, Southern Rural Development Center, and Delta Directions Consortium. Clarksdale and Starkville, MS. July 12-13, 2022 - Coming Together for Racial Understanding: Reflecting on Our Path to Chart Future Steps, Richmond, VA. July 28, 2022 - Understanding the Digital Divide through a Lens of Race, Virtual. August 12, 2022 - Coalition & Partnership Development webinar with National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Virtual. August 22-25, 2022 - Southern Region Program Leadership Network Joint Meeting, Ft. Worth, TX. August 30-31, 2021 - CREATE BRIDGES Lexington Meeting. Lexington, KY. This meeting was an opportunity for team leaders to hold peer-to-peer learning sessions and to plan for future program activities. August 18, 2022. SR-PLN Collaboration Pre-Conference 2022; "Innovative Land Grant Collaborations: Stories of 1862, 1890, and 1994 Institutions Working Together" ? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? October 2021. Entsminger, J., Bednarikova, Z., Garner, R., Gayle, R., Goetz, S., Green, J.J., Pan, Y., Welborn, R., & Wiatt, R. Investing in Rural Recovery: Findings from a Rapid Assessment of Stakeholder Priorities for Rural Development. Regional Rural Development Centers. https://rrdc.usu.edu/files/assessment-of-stakeholder-priorities-for-rural-development_oct2021.pdf October 1, 2021 - Welborn, R. Status and Plans for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team. Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Executive Directors' Team. October 13 & December 8, 2021. Welborn, R. & Green, J.J. Southern Rural Development Center updates for the Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders meetings. Virtual. October 22, 2021. Green, J.J. 2021. Investigation the components of population change: Demographic resources relevant to rural research. Department of Agricultural Economics Seminar Series, Mississippi State University. Virtual. December 2021. Kelly, C. (Editor), C. DeFelice, J. Garner, J. Green, G. Langford, L. Narmour, & R. Welborn (Contributors). 2021. Building Bridges Toward Prosperity: Southern Rural Development Center Annual Report. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center. Available online at: http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual/annual_report_2021_reduced.pdf January 2022. Kelly, C., Green, J., Welborn, R., Garner, R., Langford, G., DeFelice, C., & Narmour, L. (2022). Southern Rural Development Center Building Bridges Toward Future Prosperity: 2021 Annual Report. January 13, 2022 - Southern Region, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. January 19, 2022. Green, J.J. Southern Rural Development Center updates for the Association of Extension Administrators and Association of 1890 Research Directors. Virtual. February 4, 2022. Green, J.J. & Entsminger, J. Meeting with U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development staff concerning USDA Rural Development Rural Community Strategies. Virtual. February 14, 2022. Garner, R. 50 Years of Rural Development: The Regional Rural Development Centers and the Southern Focus. Presentation at the 2022 Southern Rural Sociological Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. NIFA Support Acknowledged. February 14, 2022. Garner, R. Local and Regional Food Systems in the South: Engaging New Frontiers. Poster Presentation at the 2022 Southern Rural Sociological Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. NIFA Support Acknowledged. March 8, 2022. Green, J.J. Delta population change has implications for weathering the future. Rural Population Research Network Brief, #2022-5. https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/POPULATIONASSOCIATION/3e04a602-09fe-49d8-93e4-1dd0069a7f14/UploadedImages/GPAC/Rural_America_Briefing_2022/Green_2022-5_FINAL.pdf March 18, 2022. Green, J.J. Delta population change has implications for weathering the future. Presentation. Small towns/big trends: Demographic insights on living, working, and thriving in Rural America briefing. Rural Population Research Network, Population Association of America, Association of Population Centers, and the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging. Virtual. March 19, 2022. Green, J.J. Reflections on community-based cooperatives in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Rural Development Act. Presentation. Mississippi Association of Cooperatives meeting. Jackson, MS. March 25, 2022. Broadband and the digital divide. Regional Rural Development Centers Briefing for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Virtual. April 4-5, 2022. Southern Rural Development Center exhibit table at the Biennial Research Symposium of the Association of 1890 Research Directors. Atlanta, GA. May 16, 2022. Garner, R. & Langford, G. Resolving Heirs' Property Issues: Its Role in Community Sustainability Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA. NIFA Support Acknowledged. May 16, 2022. Langford, G. & Garner, R. CREATE BRIDGES: Sustainable Community Development for Retail, Tourism, Accommodations, and Entertainment. Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA. NIFA Support Acknowledged. May 17, 2022. Green, J.J. & Welborn, R. Southern Rural Development Center updates for the Association of Extension Administrators, Association of 1890 Research Directors, Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, and Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. Southern Region Mini-Land Grant Meeting. College Station, TX. May 17-18, 2022. Southern Region Mini Land Grant Meeting. College Station, TX June 2, 2022. Entsminger, J., Green, J.J., & Welborn. R. Food systems and rural community development. Regional Rural Development Centers Briefing for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Virtual. June 6, 2022. National Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meeting, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Conference. Indianapolis, IN. June 23, 2022. Garner, R. Resolving Heirs' Property Issues: Its Role in Community Vitality in the Delta Region Presentation at the 2022 Delta Regional Forum, Clarksdale, MS. NIFA Support Acknowledged. June 23-24, 2022. Delta Regional Forum, co-organized by the Southern Rural Development Center, University of Mississippi Center for Population Studies, and the Delta Directions Consortium. Clarksdale, MS. August 2, 2022. Malone, A., Toombs, Steel, D., Green, J.J., & Cosby, T. Third general session. Panel Session. Association of Extension Administrators Conference, Orlando, FL. Quarterly calls - SRDC Board of Directors and Technical Operations & Advisory Committee quarterly calls and annual meeting (October 19-20, 2021, January 10, 12; April 11, 13; July 11, 13, 2022. Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, monthly calls, Regional Rural Development Center updates Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team Monthly calls - Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Broadband Program Action Team. Bi-monthly calls - Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meetings (August 24-26, 2021; October 13, 2021; December 8, 2021; February 9, 2022; April 13, 2022; June 15, 2022; July 13, 2022). SRDC maintains and disseminates information through several active listservs dedicated to specific stakeholder group needs including broadband, heirs' property, National Community Development Program Leaders, eight State Program Leader groups in the Southern Region, local/regional foods, Regional Rural Development Centers, Coming Together for Racial Understanding teams. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year, SRDC will continue progressing toward its goals in the following ways. Priority 1 - Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities. (a) SRDC will continue to facilitate the work of the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative which includes facilitating monthly calls, helping organize the annual meeting, and sharing resources that the team develops. (b) The Center will support the 10 pilot states that attended the Advancing Digital Access workshop to refine materials. SRDC will also seek opportunities to expand training as several other states have already expressed interest in joining the work. SRDC will continue to co-lead the ECOP Broadband Program Action Team, and as such support the Community of Practice and repository for shared resources (https://connect.extension.org/g/broadband-access-and-digital-skills). With NIFA AFRI funding, SRDC will also be working in partnership with 1890 LGU colleagues on designing and disseminating tools for helping close the digital divide among underserved communities. (c) SRDC will continue to facilitate monthly networking of research, Extension, and non-profits working on heirs' property issues. Plans include continued progress on research concerning heirs' property and persistent poverty, completion of the special journal issue, and launching training in late 2022/early 2023 for the curriculum developed in spring 2022, and preparation to apply for a multistate Extension and research project. (d) SRDC will continue to support Coming Together for Racial Understanding efforts through a series of ongoing training events and through facilitation of the research team. SRDC will continue to co-chair the ECOP DEI Program Action Team seeking to bring together those within the LGU system to share resources and align efforts. (e) SRDC will also continue to support the Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Committee in collecting and sharing impact stories related to how Extension was responding to community needs related to COVID-19. These will be posted here http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring_impact/south-initiatives.html. Priority 2 - Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC (a) will continue shepherding CREATE BRIDGES as strategic plans launch based on data from the regions. (b) SRDC will launch its grant writing workshop in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement targeting those working with low resourced communities and farmers. (c) SRDC will continue to provide support for the Southern Region Program Leadership Network including its Joint Meeting as well as supporting the committees' work throughout the year. (d) SRDC will continue to facilitate the development of the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report. Priority 3 - Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities: The Center will continue to listen for emerging issues which need immediate attention across the region. SRDC completed its efforts to support the national scan of priorities for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). Work with the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) and the multi-state Rural Population Research Network will continue, including mentorship and capacity development for this line of applied research to inform Extension efforts. Involvement with the Delta Scholars undergraduate leadership initiative will proceed, with special attention to introducing future leaders to community resource development issues and avenues of work through research, outreach, and Extension.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Southern Rural Development Center focused on its three overarching priorities to (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. The following accomplishments were achieved related to each priority area. Priority 1 - Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities. (a) SRDC continued to facilitate the work of the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative as they launched their new five-year SERA plan which was approved fall, 2021 with these work groups: Resource Bank, Learning, and Engagement; Food System Resiliency and Development; Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change. (b) The Center worked with the National Digital Education Extension Team to develop new curriculum and launch a pilot training to support Extension efforts to advance digital equity. Ten states participated in the initial training (http://srdc.msstate.edu/ecommerce/advancing-digital-access.html). This team has also joined hands with the ECOP Broadband Program Action Team, and as such has developed a Community of Practice and repository for shared resources (https://connect.extension.org/g/broadband-access-and-digital-skills), and a research team is developing recommendations for measuring the impacts of broadband adoption on quality of life. The group has contributed to the development of an issue briefs publication series. (c) SRDC continues to facilitate monthly networking of research, Extension, and non-profits working on heirs' property issues. This year, a subset of this team developed a training curriculum with plans of launching the first training cohort in late 2022/early 2023. A research team addressing the connections between heirs' property and persistent poverty has been kicked off with AFRI support, and there is an interdisciplinary group of scholars working on a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal focused on heirs' property. (d) Coming Together for Racial Understanding efforts continue to be a prominent portion of the Center's efforts to expand dialogue efforts around race and ethnicity. Three new states (NE, WV, SD) sent training teams to this year's training, and several new models of employing virtual elements have advanced the number of people able to tap training efforts. Additional training was developed specifically to aid leaders both within Cooperative Extension Service and USDA NIFA in helping to adopt and support practices of inclusion. In addition to dialogue efforts through Coming Together, SRDC co-chaired the ECOP DEI Program Action Team seeking to bring together those within the LGU system to share resources and align efforts. Work with this team will continue into 2022-23. (e) SRDC worked with the Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Committee to collect and share impact stories related to how Extension was responding to community needs related to COVID-19. These are posted online http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring_impact/south-initiatives.html. Priority 2 - Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC (a) continued shepherding CREATE BRIDGES which is designed to explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail which often makes up a large portion of rural employment. Retail establishments were particularly hard-hit by COVID. These regions spanning six states have worked to identify innovative strategies to keep doors open and help rural retail thrive. (b) SRDC has worked in partnership with the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement to refine and expand a grants workshop targeted to low resourced communities and farmers. The curriculum will be unveiled in fall 2022. (c) SRDC had a key role in planning efforts for the annual Southern Region Program Leadership Network Joint Meeting as well as supporting the committees' work throughout the year. (d) SRDC gathered and designed the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report, also available online http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring_impact/south-initiatives.html. Priority 3 - Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities: The Center continued to focus on mobilizing resources around emerging issues, one of which was grant writing. As noted above, a plan is in place to begin building capacity on this issue. SRDC completed its efforts to support the national scan of priorities for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). The Center joined scholars from other universities for co-leadership in expanding the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Aging to connect applied researchers seeking to inform development and collaborated in sharing program and policy-relevant findings through the multi-state Rural Population Research Network. SRDC also participated in curriculum development and implementation with the Delta Scholars undergraduate leadership program and the Delta Regional Forum, connecting several themes across the program of work. Additionally, the four Regional Rural Development Centers led a national scan of priorities around rural resilience through a stakeholder survey and virtual listening sessions. These resulted in regional and national level reports on key issues and opportunities to advance the future of rural places.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: February 2022 - Garner, R. 50 Years of Rural Development: The Regional Rural Development Centers and the Southern Focus. Presentation at the 2022 Southern Rural Sociological Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: February 2022 - Garner, R. Local and Regional Food Systems in the South: Engaging New Frontiers. Poster Presentation at the 2022 Southern Rural Sociological Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: May 18, 2022 - Green, J.J. Who is our audience? Exploration through population change. Presentation. Southern Region Mini-Land Grant Meeting. College Station, TX
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: May 2022 - Garner, R. & Langford, G. Resolving Heirs Property Issues: Its Role in Community Sustainability. Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: May 2022 - Langford, G. & Garner, R. CREATE BRIDGES: Sustainable Community Development for Retail, Tourism, Accommodations, and Entertainment. Presentation at the 2022 National Energy Extension Summit / National Sustainability Summit, State College, PA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: June 2022 - Garner, R. Resolving Heirs Property Issues: Its Role in Community Vitality in the Delta Region. Presentation at the 2022 Delta Regional Forum, Clarksdale, MS.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: June 2022 - Langford, G., McCullough, S., Siems, S., Davis, A., Welborn, R. Dunn, J., . . . Mathews, B. (2022, June). CREATE BRIDGES: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Poster session presented at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Indianapolis, IN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: June 6. 2022 - Wilcox, M., Marshall, M., Albrecht, D., Green, J., Entsminger, J., & Rocker, S. (2022). Fostering development in rural America in the next 50 years. Panel session at the annual meeting of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. Indianapolis, IN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: une 8, 2022 - Welborn, R.; Aguilar, C.; Burton, D.; Kay, D.; Raison, B.; Sanders, K.; Seals, L.; Tyler-Mackey, C.; Walcott, E. (2022) Racial Understanding: Lets Start Talking. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Conference. Indianapolis, IN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: August 6, 2022 - Green, J.J. Population change and community infrastructures and services: Conceptualizing challenges and opportunities for regional rural development. Presentation. Rural Sociological Society Conference, Westminster CO.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Green, J.J., Monnat, S., Jensen, L., Hunter, L., & Sliwinski, M. (Special Issue Editors). 2022. Rural aging. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, Official Journal of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, 37, 1. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol37/iss1/
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Parks, V., Cossman, R., & Green, J.J. (Special Issue Editors). 2022. Space, place, and COVID-19. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, Official Journal of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, 37, 2). https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol37/iss2/1/
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Entsminger, J.; Bednarikova, Z.; Garner, R; Gayle, R.; Goetz, S.; Green, J.; Pan, Y.; Welborn, R.; Wiatt, R. (2021) Investing in Rural Recovery: Findings from a Rapid Assessment of Stakeholder Priorities for Rural Development. Regional Rural Development Centers. Available online at: https://rrdc.usu.edu/files/assessment-of-stakeholder-priorities-for-rural-development_oct2021.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kelly, C. editor; DeFelice, C.; Garner, J.; Green, J.; Langford, G.; Narmour, L.; Welborn, R. (2021). Building Bridges Toward Prosperity: Southern Rural Development Center Annual Report. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center. Available online at: http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual/annual_report_2021_reduced.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Zabawa, R., Henry, J., Thompson, S. (2021). Southern region heirs property collaborative. Southern Rural Development Center. Available online at: http://srdc.msstate.edu/heir_property/SOUTHERN-REGION-HEIRS-PROPERTY-Final-Report-2021.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2021) National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES. Submitted January 24, 2022.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2022, July). National Giving Impact Report. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES. Submitted July 1, 2022.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: August 6, 2022 - Green, J.J., Johnson Gaither, C., Thompson, S., Woods, K., Mooney, M., & Thomson, R. Heirs property and the social sciences: Exploring the state of knowledge to inform further research, practice, and policy. Panel Session. Rural Sociological Society Conference, Westminster CO.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: August 6, 2022 - Jensen, L., Monnat, S., & Green, J.J. The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging: Background, focus, and opportunities. Special Information Session. Rural Sociological Society Conference, Westminster CO.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Langford, G. & Welborn, R. (2022, August) National Giving Impact Report: Phase II. Annual Grantee Report to Walmart for CREATE BRIDGES. Submitted August 17, 2022.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Siems, S., Langford, G., & Dunn, J.. (Eds.). (2022). CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Information sheet, updated. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Baxter, I. & Upendram, S. (2022). Broadband impact on education and workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southern Rural Development Center Issue Brief #2022-3.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. 2022. Bridging the digital divide in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the south: Individual Digital Capital survey results. Southern Rural Development Center.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gallardo, R. & Whitacre, B. (2022). A granular look at internet speeds and demographic groups: Implications for digital equity. Southern Rural Development Center Issue Brief #2022-1.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B., & Biedny, C. (2022). State policies that impact rural broadband availability. Southern Rural Development Center Issue Brief #2022-2.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Whitacre, B., & Gallardo, R. (2022). Broadband availability vs. adoption: Which matters more for economic development? Southern Rural Development Center Issue Brief #2022-4.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Carvalho, Mckenzie L. 2022. "U.S. Financial Literacy: Does Urban-Rural Residency Matter?," MS Thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS.
• Type: Websites Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Welborn, R.; Sherin, K.; Whitacre, B. (2021) Broadband Access and Digital Skills Community of Practice website and repository. Extension Foundation. Available online at https://connect.extension.org/g/broadband-access-and-digital-skills
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: November 16, 2021 - Green, J.J., Otts, S., Cafer, A., Deans, O., Janasie, C., Surbeck, C., & Willet, K. Water system challenges in the face of population declines. Presentation at the Jackson Water Crisis: Past, Present, and Future Forum. Organized by the Jackson State University Mississippi Urban Research Center. Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: February 6, 2022 - Zabawa, R., Evans, S., & Green, J.J. In pursuit of rural prosperity: Development research to inform policy and practice. Panel Presentation. Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. New Orleans, LA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: February 6, 2022 - Green, J.J., Morrison, J., Gallardo, R., Whitacre, B., Lamie, D., & Upendram, S. Measuring the impact of broadband on quality of life in rural areas: A systematic exploration of the literature. Presentation. Annual Meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. New Orleans, LA.