March 11, 2025

2024 marked the silver anniversary of Stephan Goetz’s tenure as NERCRD Director

Since joining the Penn State faculty in 1999 as NERCRD’s Director, Stephan Goetz has shaped its development as a high-performing organization that has made numerous contributions to the understanding and practice of rural community and economic development.

“Above all, I am grateful to the many talented and devoted individuals who graciously worked with the Center over the years, ranging from educators to faculty and land-grant university leadership, colleagues in various federal agencies, as well as many community-based individuals. The Center’s own staff, critical to making the work possible, of course warrants special mention,” said Goetz in the 2024 NERCRD Annual Report.

Highlights from the last quarter-century include:

• $4.2 Million in funding distributed externally through multi-state collaborations
• 198 scientific publications (see Google Scholar profile here)
• 38 workshops and conferences convened
• 16 postdocs and graduate students mentored

For a comprehensive look at the NERCRD’s outputs and impacts during this time, watch for the forthcoming 25-year Retrospective!

See below for some photos from over the years. Some are linked for more information.