Inside the Business Office

Plenary Speakers at Annual Meeting

The 2026 Annual Meeting will bring together leading scholars and public voices whose work speaks directly to the complexities of rural life, democracy, and justice. This year’s plenary sessions highlight the intersections of law, politics, and moral leadership, offering members a rich set of perspectives on the challenges and possibilities facing rural communities today.

​Professor Lauren Sudeall, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School, will give the Thursday plenary address titled, “The Perils and Promise of ‘Rural Justice." Sudeall has written extensively on access to justice, including about her empirical research on rural-urban differences in navigating eviction proceedings in Georgia. She directs the Vanderbilt Access to Justice (AtJ) Initiative.

Our Friday afternoon plenary will feature ​Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of ​​Am​​erican Government at Colby College​, co-author of ​The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America​ (2024), and Christopher A. Cooper, the ​Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs​ and ​Director of the Haire Institute for Public Polic​​y​ at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. His most recent book is ​Anatomy of a Purple State: A North Carolina Politics Primer​ (2024). Jacobs and Cooper will be joined by several North Carolina politicians and political operatives.

We are thrilled to announce that Rev. Dr. William Barber II will be our plenary speaker on Saturday morning, August 1, 2026. Dr. Barber, who gained recognition in North Carolina for leading the Moral Monday protests starting in 2013, is the author several books, including White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (2025) and The Third Reconstruction (2016) (with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove). Barber is the founder of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. From 2006 to 2017, Barber served as president of the North Carolina NAACP, and he served on the National NAACP Board of Directors from 2008 to 2020. His writings document rural deprivation, restrictions on voting rights, healthcare access, and infrastructure inequality. He holds a doctorate in public policy and pastoral care from Drew University and pastored Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina for thirty years. He is currently Professor and Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. The title of his talk will be “Rural Justice and the Fight for America’s Moral Future.”

June 1 Deadline Approaching –

Register for the Annual Meeting Early & Save

Reminder the early registration deadline for the RSS 2026 Annual Meeting is June 1. After this date, registration rates will increase, so don’t wait to secure your spot!

👉 Register now and save​

Join us in Raleigh for an engaging and dynamic meeting—we look forward to seeing you there!

Call For Diversity Auction Items

The RSS Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee requests your assistance with a Silent Auction to be held during the 88th Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. All funds raised will support JEDI Travel Grants and diversity and equity-related programming for the 89th Annual Meeting to be held in Kansas City, Missouri.

We need your help! Specifically, we need you or your department to donate items for the Silent Auction. In past years, the most popular items have been those that were handmade or that symbolized the creativity and skills of rural Americans. Baskets containing foods, wines, or other products from your state or region are also popular. A surprising number of local businesses such as jewelry stores are willing to donate items, and we encourage you to solicit such donations whenever possible. Please keep this in mind as you visit local festivals, farmers' markets, and other community-related events. Perhaps, even consider bringing a donation card already set up that might provide monies to local shelters (animal, human). These are just a few ideas to consider as you are out and about during spring and summer!

This year's auction will also include a special section for author-signed copies of RSS members' books. If you are a book author, we would love to include a signed copy of your book and ask that you consider bringing one to donate.

Please plan to bring the donated item or items with you to the RSS Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina.

2026 Election Results

Thank you to all who participated in this year’s election. These are the newly elected leaders who will begin their terms following the Annual Meeting:

President Elect: Tim Slack

Vice President: Elizabeth Ransom

Council Member - Land Grant University - David Peters

Council Member - Non Land Grant University or College: Ian Carillo

Council Member - Governmental, Nonprofit, or Private Organization: Weston M. Eaton

Council Member - Student: Edith Marie Green

Nominations Committee Chair Elect: Kelli Russell

Nominations Committee Members: Andrew R. Smolski, Jessica Goldberger

Ethics Committee: Kathryn Brasier

Upcoming Webinar

May 19, 2026 at 12 PM ET

Designing Effective Research Posters

Poster sessions are a staple of academic conferences and a powerful way to share your work, spark conversations, and build connections with fellow scholars. Yet many of us have never received formal guidance on what makes a research poster effective (or what to actually do while standing next to one). Whether you're a graduate student preparing your first poster or a seasoned scholar looking to up your game, this webinar is for you. Shannon Monnat will walk through the key principles of high-impact poster design, share examples of what works (and what doesn't) for both quantitative and qualitative research, and offer practical tips for making the most of your time during poster sessions — from layout and data visualization to engaging passersby in meaningful conversation about your research. This webinar is open to all RSS members and is especially useful for anyone presenting a poster at the 2026 annual meeting.

Publishing Articles as Open Access with Wiley

​Mentor-Mentee Connection Initiative

Graduate Student Corner

RIG Award Submissions Open

RSS News & Announcements Submission Page

Members now have a dedicated space to share opportunities, updates, and accomplishments with the RSS community. The News & Announcements page features calls for submissions, events, jobs, funding opportunities, and “Members in the News” highlights. If you have an announcement to share, you can now submit it directly through the site—helping us keep the community informed and connected throughout the year.

Raleigh, North Carolina

A visit to Raleigh, N.C., is more than a trip to just any big city; visitors will experience kindness, charm and local flair with unique Southern hospitality that promises elevated experiences! Raleigh stands as North Carolina’s hub of intellect, culture, cuisine and innovation.

This cool capital city offers diverse experiences in food, live music, sports, arts and scenic outdoors—it’s an approachable, inviting and thriving destination for all.

RSS Listserv Discontinuation
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The RSS Listserv (RURSOC-L@LSV.UKY.EDU) will be discontinued. This decision reflects our commitment to streamlining communication and ensuring that announcements and updates are shared through the RSS Business Office and official channels.