Approximately 9.3 million United States students attend rural schools and one in every five U.S. citizens lives in a rural community.  Yahn’s current work examines: 1) the impact rural industries (e.g. resource extraction, farming, manufacturing) have on school funding and community capitals, 2) societal issues relevant to rural schools and communities, and 3) the theory and practice of community and career connected learning (CCCL) in rural schools.

Thomas’ career centers on addressing the health needs of communities by designing, implementing and evaluating community-led health education and promotion initiatives, especially in the area of cancer health disparities.  After combining her undergraduate degrees in political science, Spanish, and psychology, and a graduate degree in administration with a Ph.D.

Casapulla has 30 years of experience in a variety of educational settings and capacities including teaching, professional development, curriculum development, educational research and program evaluation. Currently, Casapulla is the director of the Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways (RUSP) program in the Office of Rural and Underserved Programs at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University. Her research and service include work in and with rural and urban communities locally in southeastern Ohio and internationally.

Stacy Strauss joined the Innovation Center as the Associate Director in August 2014 and was promoted to Director in October 2016. Strauss manages the staff, makes connections for clients, oversees facility management, fundraising efforts, budget analysis, grant writing, and other Innovation Center operations.

Dr. Melinda Ford is an experienced primary care physician and medical educator who has firsthand clinical knowledge of the challenges of treating drug-dependent patients. In addition to her assistant professorship at the Heritage College, she works for OhioHealth Physician Group Heritage College as a family medicine and addiction physician.

Since joining Ohio University in 1999, Scott Miller has focused on building strong relationships with industry, government, and nonprofit partners to shape and implement programs that elevate and enhance Ohio University’s research and teaching profile. Miller currently serves as the Russ College’s point person on industry attraction at the Russ Research Center in Beavercreek, Ohio, near Dayton.

The workforce will face a shortage of nearly 200,000 marketing analysts by 2018, according to estimates in a McKinsey study. Dr. Laeeq Khan, through his research and teaching, is working to change that.

Dr. Morrone is an expert on food safety in America. A credentialed food safety professional, Morrone is also the former chief of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education.

Morrone has focused her career on examining the relationship between environmental contamination and human health outcomes, including exploring disproportionate exposures in low-income areas.

As an environmental historical geographer, Dr. Geoff Buckley examines how past processes and decisions have produced many of the environmental problems we grapple with today. He is particularly interested in urban sustainability and management of public lands, especially city, state and national parks. He often frames his research using an environmental justice lens.

Buckley has also studied the development of coal mining landscapes, especially in the Appalachian region.

Dr. Chad Starkey traces his interest in the field of athletic training back to high school when he broke his ankle playing football and worked with athletic trainers at West Virginia University as part of his rehabilitation.