Exploring Rural America: A Discussion on Education

Rural students' transition experiences to universities are unique, and many find themselves navigating different home and university cultures and expectations. This talk will highlight these transition experiences, including areas of convergence and divergence, among rural postsecondary students. 

Rodney P. Hughes, PhD, is an assistant professor of higher education administration at West Virginia University and director of the Center for the Future of Land-Grant Education. His areas of study include college access and affordability, education policy analysis, institutional research, and higher education labor markets. From 2008 – 2011, Hughes served as a student member of the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University, and he served on the Special Investigations Task Force that commissioned former FBI Director Louis Freeh’s report on allegations of child sexual abuse against Jerry Sandusky in 2012. Hughes received a PhD in higher education administration and BS and MA in economics from Penn State, and he worked as a research manager in the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University from 2013 – 2016.  

Erin McHenry-Sorber, PhD, is an associate professor in higher education and higher education programs coordinator at West Virginia University. She also serves as co-editor of the Rural Educator. Her research focuses on rural schools and communities, with particular emphasis on rural leadership and policy, as well as equity. She obtained a PhD in educational leadership from the Pennsylvania State University; a MEd from Harvard University in administration, planning, and social policy; and a BS Ed from Bucknell University in secondary education and English. 

This event is part of a series hosted by the Stanford Rural Engagement Network, a collaboration of The Bill Lane Center for the American West and Haas Center for Public Service. To stay informed of Stanford’s efforts to deepen engagement with domestic rural communities, sign up here.