Article on New Hampshire’s “quiet” innovation highlights NERCRD research

In this opinion piece written for the New Hampshire Business Review, Dr. Charlie French (University of New Hampshire Extension) cites NERCRD research on “latent” or hidden innovation, and provides several examples of “quiet innovation” from rural New Hampshire communities that are leading to gains in employment, income, and quality of life. Dr. French leads UNH Extension’s Community and Economic Development team.

Finding new ways to measure the local sustainability of rural tourism

May 27, 2026

Tourism affects local populations differently in counties across the U.S., but measuring these effects may now be easier thanks to a new tool developed as part of a study by researchers at Penn State/NERCRD and West Virginia University Extension. For the study, published in the journal Tourism Economics, the researchers developed a sustainability index to assess how tourism affects counties according to a number of factors that measure the areas’ economic, social and environmental well-being. They found that counties relying heavily on tourism varied widely in their ability to keep it from overwhelming local resources, with no destination performing well on every dimension.

Yuan (Timothy) Zhuang awarded NARSC Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science

May 11, 2026

Congratulations to Yuan (Timothy) Zhuang, Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education at Penn State and NERCRD graduate researcher, who has been selected as the winner of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) 26th Annual Benjamin H. Stevens Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science!

Hunger affected mental health more than income, job loss amid COVID-19 pandemic

April 14, 2026

Not having enough food may have had a greater negative effect on mental health in the United States than unemployment or loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in Plos ONE. The study was led by Linlin Fan, associate professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, and NERCRD Director Stephan Goetz. Yuxuan Pan, a former NERCRD postdoctoral scholar and now at the University of Kentucky, also contributed to the study.

Planning for Community Food Access

March 30, 2026

In this Penn State Extension article, authors Claudia Schmidt, Harry Crissy, and John Turack explore food deserts, food swamps, data gaps, and innovative mapping solutions to strengthen food access across Pennsylvania’s urban and rural communities.

NERCRD 2025 Annual Report

February 24, 2026

We invite you to explore our recent work, which leverages and transforms our federal investment into impactful research, synergistic partnerships, and greater capacity in the region and beyond.

Webinar Recording: Data Centers — Assisting Communities in Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities

February 24, 2026

This webinar recording is geared toward Extension professionals in the region who are interested in assisting their communities in understanding the challenges and opportunities that data centers present.

Northeast Region Kinship Care Extension Meeting

February 5, 2026

NERCRD is convening Extension educators, specialists, and professionals for a regional online meeting focused on grandparents raising grandchildren. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

2025 NETtra Tourism Conference Proceedings extends the reach of conference and tourism research

January 7, 2026

In a first-time collaboration between the National Extension Tourism (NET) Network and the Northeast Chapter of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (NETTRA), the NETtra Tourism Conference was hosted by the University of New Hampshire in October 2025. The two groups just released proceedings from the conference to extend the reach of the research and […]

Upcoming Event

Penn State Spring 2026 Land-Use Webinar Series announced

January 7, 2026

The Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series, organized in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (PA-APA) and the NERCRD, offers five monthly webinars beginning January 21 on land use topics affecting the communities of Pennsylvania.

Groundbreaking data initiative now encompasses all four U.S. regions

December 17, 2025

Earlier this year, the Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) released open-access data from household surveys conducted in three U.S. regions. This month, with the release of data from the Western region, the Baseline Survey 2024 now encompasses all four regions of the U.S.