Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
The Future of Appalachian Studies
Session Abstract or Summary
The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss the future of the field of Appalachian Studies. A multidisciplinary group of graduate students at the University of Kentucky will discuss their research and perspective of its importance to current issues in Appalachia.
Participants, both residents and non-residents of Appalachia, are from the fields of Education, English, and Public Health. As emerging scholars in these disciplines, theories from a multitude of disciplines, including Sociology, Anthropology, Feminist Studies, Developmental Studies, and Human Geography are used as lenses for research. Contributors offer a diverse interdisciplinary outlooks on the future of Appalachian Studies.
Participants will also discuss how multidisciplinary organizations can foster cooperation and promote solidary within Appalachian Studies. The discussion will include how graduate students have been and can be involved in student-led organizations that encourage diverse scholarship and how that has furthered their studies. Participants will describe challenges they have faced in finding recognition and support for their interest in Appalachian Studies within traditional disciplinary silos.
The goal of this round table is to help promote dialogue about education and research in Appalachian Studies between disciplines. The future of Appalachian Studies depends on interdisciplinary collaboration between the diverse population of graduate students, who seek to sustain and further the field. We hope to foster an understanding of how all the disciplines approach research and how they can work together to provide a complete picture of the issues and opportunities in Appalachia.
Presentation #1 Title
The Future of Appalachian Studies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss the future of the field of Appalachian Studies. A multidisciplinary group of graduate students at the University of Kentucky will discuss their research and perspective of its importance to current issues in Appalachia.
Participants, both residents and non-residents of Appalachia, are from the fields of Education, English, and Public Health. As emerging scholars in these disciplines, theories from a multitude of disciplines, including Sociology, Anthropology, Feminist Studies, Developmental Studies, and Human Geography are used as lenses for research. Contributors offer a diverse interdisciplinary outlooks on the future of Appalachian Studies.
Participants will also discuss how multidisciplinary organizations can foster cooperation and promote solidary within Appalachian Studies. The discussion will include how graduate students have been and can be involved in student-led organizations that encourage diverse scholarship and how that has furthered their studies. Participants will describe challenges they have faced in finding recognition and support for their interest in Appalachian Studies within traditional disciplinary silos.
The goal of this round table is to help promote dialogue about education and research in Appalachian Studies between disciplines. The future of Appalachian Studies depends on interdisciplinary collaboration between the diverse population of graduate students, who seek to sustain and further the field. We hope to foster an understanding of how all the disciplines approach research and how they can work together to provide a complete picture of the issues and opportunities in Appalachia
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Leah Vance is a PhD student at the University of Kentucky in the Higher Education and Policy Studies Program. Her primary research interest is first-generation student success. She looks specifically at sub-populations of students including female students and Appalachian students.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Melissa Wiser is a PhD candidate in English and a writing instructor at the University of Kentucky. Her research interests include children, family, and gender in Appalachian literature.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
M. Aaron Guest, MPH, MSW, is a Ph.D. Candidate in Gerontology at the University of Kentucky. His dissertation research focuses on social network development and utilization among aging rural Appalachian LGBTQ individuals in Kentucky. His broader research seeks to develop innovative ways to improve individual and population health.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
A former Spanish and English high school teacher in Bell County, Kentucky, Laura Carter-Stone is pursuing her Master's in Social and Philosophical Issues in Education at the University of Kentucky. During her years at Middlesboro Independent High School, she coached student leaders in preparing and implementing a district-wide plan to address the educational challenges presented by rural poverty under the auspices of the Appalachian Renaissance Initiative Grant. Currently, her research explores how second language and literacy programs might best serve the needs of students from rural and culturally-diverse backgrounds.
The Future of Appalachian Studies
The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss the future of the field of Appalachian Studies. A multidisciplinary group of graduate students at the University of Kentucky will discuss their research and perspective of its importance to current issues in Appalachia.
Participants, both residents and non-residents of Appalachia, are from the fields of Education, English, and Public Health. As emerging scholars in these disciplines, theories from a multitude of disciplines, including Sociology, Anthropology, Feminist Studies, Developmental Studies, and Human Geography are used as lenses for research. Contributors offer a diverse interdisciplinary outlooks on the future of Appalachian Studies.
Participants will also discuss how multidisciplinary organizations can foster cooperation and promote solidary within Appalachian Studies. The discussion will include how graduate students have been and can be involved in student-led organizations that encourage diverse scholarship and how that has furthered their studies. Participants will describe challenges they have faced in finding recognition and support for their interest in Appalachian Studies within traditional disciplinary silos.
The goal of this round table is to help promote dialogue about education and research in Appalachian Studies between disciplines. The future of Appalachian Studies depends on interdisciplinary collaboration between the diverse population of graduate students, who seek to sustain and further the field. We hope to foster an understanding of how all the disciplines approach research and how they can work together to provide a complete picture of the issues and opportunities in Appalachia
