Expert Sources:

Cancian, Maria, Director, Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP), Professor, Public Affairs and Social Work, 3420 Social Science Building, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, (608) 265-9037, cancian@lafollette.wisc.edu.

- Maria Cancian is the director of the Institute for Research on Poverty as well as a professor of Public Affairs and Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cancian's research interests include poverty, welfare and child support policy, and the economic well-being of families with children. She is Principal Investigator of the Child Support Demonstration Evaluation in Wisconsin. Other areas of research include the impact of married women's earnings on the distribution of income, the labor supply effects of the EITC, and the relationship between changes in assortative mating and changes in women's labor force participation. Her experience as director of IRP and as a professor and researcher make her an expert on poverty in general, including rural poverty.

Fluharty, Charles, Director, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri-Columbia, 214 Middlebush Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211-6100, (573) 882-0316, CFluharty@rupri.org.

- Charles Fluharty is founding director of the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). Fluharty has authored numerous policy studies, journal articles, and policy briefs addressing the rural differential in public policy decision-making. He is a frequent speaker before national and international public policy, private sector and nonprofit audiences and has presented several Congressional testimonies and briefings. Fluharty also has provided senior policy consultation to most federal departments, state and local governments, associations of government, planning and development organizations, and many foundations. Fluharty has received numerous awards including the Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award from the Rural Sociological Society, the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award for Superior Service (jointly to RUPRI), the President’s Award from the National Association of Development Organizations, and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Counties. Fluharty would be an excellent national expert to contact for any journalist looking for information about rural poverty policy in the U.S.

Green, Gary, Professor of Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 346D Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, (608) 262-2710, gpgreen@wisc.edu.

- Gary Green is a part of the research staff for the Institute for Research on Poverty. Green's research and teaching focuses primarily on community and economic development. He is currently involved in two projects related to poverty and low-income workers. The first project examines the role of employers, community colleges, and community-based organizations in providing job training in rural areas. He is interested in the constraints that employers face in providing general training and the effectiveness of community-based organizations in overcoming these obstacles. Also, Green is examining the relationship between amenities and development in rural areas. He is interested in understanding the effects of amenity-led development on poverty and income inequality in these regions and the effectiveness of local strategies to balance the preservation of amenities and the promotion of growth. Green is a professor of rural sociology which encompasses rural poverty, making him an excellent expert for any journalist to interview about rural poverty.

Henderson, Debra, Associate Professor of Sociology, Ohio University, Bentley Annex 137, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, (740) 593-1382, henderd2@ohio.edu.

- Debra A. Henderson, Ph.D., Presidential Teacher 2008-2011 and winner of the Arts & Sciences Dean's Outstanding Teacher Award 2006 is Associate Professor of Sociology at Ohio University. Her areas of specialization are sociology of the family, social inequality, poverty, and intersections of race, class and gender. Although Henderson is knowledgeable about many subjects in the area of sociology, she is extremely informed about the issues of poverty and development in rural areas, especially Appalachia. Henderson has done extensive research in the areas of welfare reform, class, race, gender, and families in rural areas. Henderson is an excellent source for specific stories and examples of poverty in rural areas due to her close research of impoverished families in Appalachia, making her an excellent go-to source for any journalist interested in researching rural poverty.

Tickamyer, Ann, Presidential Research Scholar, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology and Anthropology, Ohio University, Bentley Annex 157, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, (740) 593-1381, tickamye@ohio.edu.

- Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar Ann Tickamyer, Ph.D., is professor and department chair of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University. Her areas of specialization are inequality; gender and work; and rural poverty and development, making her an expert in rural poverty and poverty research. Tickamyer has taught several classes and seminars regarding poverty including Sociology of Poverty; Poverty, Development and Social Welfare provision; and Proseminar in International Development Studies. She has been published at least 20 times according to the Ohio University Department of Sociology and Anthropology website and has done extensive research on poverty, inequality, poverty in rural areas and welfare reform. Tickamyer is extraordinarily informed about the issues surrounding rural poverty, especially poverty in Appalachia, and is eager to talk to journalists, researchers, and others about the problems facing rural America.