Due to limited space, in-person attendance is by invitation only. All are welcome to attend virtually. Register here.
Symposium on Domestic Rural Life and Institution
Rural America encompasses diverse communities and experiences, shaped by a wide range of political, economic, social, and environmental forces. The symposium will bring together Stanford students, faculty, staff, and partners whose research and work engage with rural communities across the United States, highlighting perspectives on rural politics, economics, education, community health, culture, the environment, and community resilience. By showcasing this breadth of work, the event will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, explore connections across disciplines, and encourage new collaborations and research on rural America and the institutions that shape rural life.
Student Poster Session
As part of the symposium, a poster session will highlight Stanford students’ experiences and perspectives on rural communities. Projects may draw from research, service, fieldwork, or efforts to build connections between urban and rural communities. The session will allow students to share their work with a broader Stanford audience and engage in conversation with attendees.
| November 17, 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Content | Speakers |
|
12:00 P.M. - 1:20 P.M. |
Lunch and Opening Plenary |
Michael Perry, Author and Speaker |
|
1:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M. |
Panel One: Rural Life and Environmental Sustainability Rural communities sit at the frontlines of climate change, water scarcity, and land-use shifts. This panel of scholars, students, and university partners explores what it takes to build a sustainable future that works for the people who live there. |
Jeff Brown, Managing Director, Sustainability Accelerator, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Meredith Goebel, Research Scientist, Geophysics, Stanford University Manuel Piñuela, Enviropreneur Fellow, Hoover Institution; Co-Founder and CEO, Cultivo Christy Wyckoff, Owner and Operator, Red Wing Ranch Moderator: Zephyr Frank, Director, Bill Lane Center for the American West; Professor of History and Professor of Environmental Social Sciences, Stanford University |
|
2:45 P.M. -3:00 P.M. |
Break |
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|
3:00 P.M. - 4:15 P.M. |
Panel Two: Rural Institutions and Community Health From congregations to newsrooms to town halls, this panel explores what it takes to keep rural institutions strong, and what they can teach the rest of us about trust, resilience, and community health. |
Dwight Boddorf, Veteran Fellow, Hoover Institution; Borough Manager, Tarentum, Pennsylvania Jason Cunningham, CEO of West County Health Centers; Affiliate, Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center Ryan Pitts, Managing Director, Big Local News, Stanford University Alana Rocha, Director of Collaborative and Rural Initiatives, Institute for Nonprofit News Tiffany Steinwert, Dean for Religious and Spiritual Life, Stanford University Moderator: Jonathan Rodden, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Professor of Political Science, Stanford University |
| 4:15 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. |
Closing Comments and Calls to Action |
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| 4:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. |
Poster Session and Reception |
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