The Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative 2023 cohort wrapped up a busy semester with several deliverables across the four disciplinary groups of Urban Studies, Business, Sustainability, and Political Science students. These four fields of study concern different approaches to community development, but we all agreed on the fundamental principles of endogenous growth and locally-led initiatives for…

On November 17, our team returned to Fayette County to present our research to a group of community leaders at the Connellsville Canteen. Hosted graciously by the Fayette County Cultural Trust, our presentation was an open and informal affair that aligned with the principles of research co-creation that form the basis of community-engaged research. This…

Our visit to Fayette County was nothing short of insightful. Though we were only there for a few days, I feel I have a much better understanding of the area than I would have ever gained from engaging purely in “armchair” research. Reading about Fayette County, one constructs a mental image of a forgotten corner…

Greetings! My name is Jake Gehrlein, I am a 4th-year Urban Studies major with a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. I fell in love with geography at a young age, and continue to be fascinated by how it seems to impact innumerable facets of human life. One unique fact about myself is that I am…