Rural Studies Institute

When people think of the rural south, most think of agriculture. But that's only half the story.   “We need to expand people's understanding of rural, which is agriculture, but rural is so much more,” said Dr. Veronica Womack, executive director of the Rural Studies Institute (RSI). “All of the things—technology, broadband infrastructure, businesses, entrepreneurs, healthcare access—you need to make Atlanta run, we need in rural communities, as well.”  The Rural Studies Institute was...

It’s true of every job—there can be difficult days and difficult people. Sometimes, it takes real effort to smile and carry on. But, spend a few minutes around Kimberly Moore, and it’s a good bet you’ll walk away beaming—with a smile that can’t be wiped off, because it’s real. A joyful, bubbly administrative assistant, Moore makes every person who walks into the Rural Studies Institute (RSI) or her previous job in the Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE) feel as if she’s known them...

Georgia College’s innovative Rural Studies Institute was established in January. As Dr. Veronica Womack settled into her new role as its executive director, the coronavirus was raging in China. Now a global pandemic, it has sent billions of people home to work remotely by computer—giving more urgency and meaning to Womack’s work. “In addition,” Womack said, “many rural communities have few hospitals and emergency care services. So, during a world pandemic, they are vulnerable. Many...