Projects

CURRENT WORK

Rural Virginia Access Study

• Project with rural, persistently poor counties in Virginia looking at access to aid programs and healthcare.
• Project is focused on how changes to federal funding for the social safety net and healthcare impact some of our most needy populations.
• Qualitative study that includes participant observation and interviews.

Radford Housing Project

• Student led project focused on housing and food security amongst Radford students both on and off campus.
• Qualitative interviews take place in fall and an annual survey takes place each Spring. Longitudinal.

Feeding Southwest Virginia Program Assessment

• Analysis of Qualitative Interviews on behalf of FSV.

National Center for Frontier Communities Policy Network

• We are building a database of other nonprofits who do policy/advocacy for rural and remote communities throughout America.

National Center for Frontier Communities Mapping Project

• Updating ArcGIS maps of rural and remote communities for the NCFC website.

Virginia 211 Evaluation

• Joanna Hunter, Ph.D., developed and implemented an assessment tool for Virginia 211’s services. This is an ongoing project.
• Questionnaire Design and Implementation

Virginia 211 Virginia Needs Mapping

• Morgan Montañez, Ph.D., and the CSCR staff are analyzing qualitative data collected by 211 intake staff to determine what services were not able to be met. The analysis of this data will result in mapping for the commonwealth.
• Data analysis and mapping

Visual Sociology

• Course projects developed by Roby Page, Ph.D., providing applied experience in qualitative research using visual methods

Roots with Wings

• Melinda Wagner, Ph.D., with the Floyd Story Center and Floyd County High School
• RU-Floyd County oral history project teaching qualitative research methods to high school students and recording the stories of WW II in Floyd County

INCOMING PROJECTS

Collaboration with Harrison Museum for African American Culture and Dr. Sallie Beth Johnson at RUC

• Looking at healthcare narratives and/or oral histories in the New River Valley

Collaboration with Radford Sustainability

• Aysha Bodenheimer, Ph.D., has a survey we will work on bringing in and fielding Spring 2026.

Program Assessment for Rice and Beans food pantry

• Student led collaboration; incoming 2026

PAST PROJECTS

Pulaski High School Project

• Elizabeth Lyman, Ph.D., with Beans and Rice
• Research consulting and survey research assistance for Beans and Rice Program at Pulaski High School

RU Sustainability

• Allison Wisecup, Ph.D., with Dennis Grady, Ph.D., Rick Roth, Ph.D., and Julio Stephens
• Quantitative research project

Civic Engagement in Higher Education

• Elizabeth Lyman, Ph.D, with Erin Webster-Garrett, Ph.D., Director, Scholar-Citizen Initiative
• Research project examining civic engagement initiatives in higher education

RU Poverty Project

• Elizabeth Lyman, Ph.D.
• Research project on college student poverty and homelessness

National College Health Assessment

• Allison Wisecup, Ph.D., with Julie Dill, SAVES Office
• Research project

Religious Identity and Practices of U.S. College Students

• Joanna Hunter, Ph.D.
• Quantitative research project using National Study of Youth and Religion data