Announcing New RSS Management Team and Website Launch
Dear RSS Members,
I’m delighted to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Rural Sociological Society. My name is Suzanne Bevan, owner and President of SSB Management. I am honored to step into this role and work alongside such a passionate and dedicated community.
Joining me in this journey is Ashley Smedley from the SSB Management team, who will be supporting RSS operations and helping us grow stronger together. We are both thrilled to be part of RSS and deeply committed to advancing its mission and supporting its members.
One of our first exciting updates is the launch of the new RSS website! This refreshed platform is designed to better serve our members with easier navigation, updated resources, and a modern look that reflects the energy and direction of RSS.
What's Next?
Login to the Rural Sociological Society website and follow the steps.
We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to working with each of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, ideas, or just to say hello.
Warm regards,
Suzanne Bevan
Executive Director
sbevan@ruralsociology.org
Ashley Smedley
Account Representative
asmedley@ruralsociology.org
Announcements
CONGRATULATIONS!
🏆 2025 SAFRIG Graduate Student Paper Award
Winner: Matthew Zinsli – University of Wisconsin–Madison
Paper Title: "A Taste for Terroir: Boundary-Work, Food Quality Charisma, and the Political Economy of the Local in the Upper South"
Honorable Mention: John Canfield – University of Wisconsin–Madison
Paper Title: "The Social Landscape of Montana’s Northern Great Plains: Land Use, Stewardship, and Conceptions of the Good"
🌍 2025 SAFRIG Diversity Travel Award
The Rural Sociological Society (RSS) Sociology of Agriculture and Food Research Interest Group (SAFRIG) travel awards are available to support the attendance and participation of two participants at the annual conference. One award is reserved for a participant associated with an HBCU (or an organization located in and serving primarily Black communities), while a second is reserved for a participant associated with a Global South college or university (or an organization located in and serving primarily Global South communities).
Recipients:
- Gbenga I. Elufisan – Mississippi State University
- Ayoyinka Ogunyoola – Murray State University
🌟 2025 Population Honors
Twenty RIG members made a strong showing at the 2025 Rural Sociological Society Banquet, bringing home honors for scholarship, teaching, service, and career achievement:
Awardees:
- Certificate of Appreciation: Michael Cope &Scott Sanders
- Excellence in Instruction: Sam Mindes
- Fred Buttel Outstanding Scholarly Achievement: Tim Slack & Shannon Monnat
- Distinguished Rural Sociologist: Julie Zimmerman
Note of Passing:
SONYA SALAMON (1939-2025)
Ethnographer Sonya Salamon, past president of the Rural Sociological Society, died on August 16, 2025, at the age of eighty-four.
It would prove fortunate that Salamon brought her training as an anthropologist to the discipline of sociology, specifically rural sociology, as her colleague Prof. Kai Arthur Schafft explained, “She approached her research using an anthropological lens at a time when most of the work that was being published by rural sociologists was quantitative and was highly empirical, using statistical methods to verify hypotheses and so forth. But that’s just not what Sonya was doing, which was brave because she was really pushing back methodologically against what were at the time standard practices in the field. She was conducting work in some really interesting ways that helped open the door methodologically for rural sociologists who followed after her, myself included.”
Job Postings
Assistant Professor in Environmental & Natural Resources Policy
Utah State University
RSS Annual Meeting
July 30 - Aug 2, 2026
Raliegh, North Carolina
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SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT
Presenting at the RSS Annual Meeting is a valuable opportunity to share your work, receive feedback, and connect with a vibrant community of rural sociologists and allies.
Abstract submissions open November 17, 2025 and are due February 16, 2026.
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