The Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont has appointed Michael Moser and Kelly Hamshaw as co-directors. Moser brings two decades of experience at the Center for Rural Studies (CRS) to the role, having served as a Research Project Specialist since 2005, while Hamshaw brings 15 years of experience working with the Center and as a faculty member in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics. 

Part of the University of Vermont’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since 1978, the Center for Rural Studies supports UVM’s research and teaching missions by incorporating students into CRS applied research, program evaluation, community indicators, and data training consulting services. CRS works with a wide range of partners in Vermont and beyond, from on-campus collaborators across the University to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, community planners, and state and federal agencies, helping them access and interpret data, evaluate programs, and address social, economic, and resource-based challenges in rural communities. 

During his 20-year tenure, Moser has played a key role in the collaborative development, implementation, and administration of a wide range of short-term and multi-year research studies and community-based projects. His work has involved diverse partners and clients, including national, statewide and local for-profit and nonprofit organizations. His subject-matter expertise with population data and community indicators contributes to his role as coordinator for Vermont’s Census State Data Center program. 

Dr. Hamshaw’s research with the CRS includes projects addressing rural affordable housing challenges, community health and wellbeing, disaster resilience, community indicators and program evaluation. She is also the recipient of numerous academic awards including the 2021 President’s Distinguished Senior Lecturer Award, the 2020 Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the 2019 Joseph E. Carrigan Award, and the 2018 Thomas F. Patterson Jr. Award.

“We are confident that Michael and Kelly are the right people to lead the Center for Rural Studies,” said Jason Konefal, chair of the CDAE department. “Their deep institutional knowledge, commitment to collaborative research, and dedication to mentoring students make them exceptional leaders as the Center for Rural Studies continues to build on its legacy of assisting and serving Vermonters and rural communities across the United States.”

As co-directors, Moser and Hamshaw will guide the future of the Center’s research and engagement efforts, building on CRS’s long-standing commitment to applied research and community partnerships in support of rural communities in Vermont and elsewhere.