The Appalachian Justice Research Center
Transdisciplinary researchers working alongside communities in Appalachia and the Mountain South to produce innovative, accessible, and transformative research that can drive action on the most pressing community justice issues in the region.
A joint project of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Winston College of Law
The Appalachian Justice Research Center (AJRC) is a transdisciplinary research and training collaborative co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Winston College of Law. The Center is dedicated to advancing community visions for a more just and equitable Appalachia and the Mountain South.
In keeping with the university’s land grant mission, we leverage university resources to address urgent, protracted, and historically under-addressed issues in the expansive region. Combining policy development and advocacy, the AJRC works towards producing tangible solutions to seemingly intractable problems in rural and urban Appalachian communities. Our work includes the creation of community archives, oral histories, curricula, and media platforms – as well as standard research outputs such as research white papers, articles, and books.
We use a community-driven, non-extractive research model: aka, we’re focused on research with and for communities, not research about communities. AJRC projects are centered around community priorities and legacies of resilience, specifically those communities most impacted by histories of poverty and violence. Our first wave of Community Research Collaboratives focus on four themes:
Community
The Appalachian Justice Research Center serves the needs and priorities of Appalachian communities directly impacted by poverty, inequalities, and all forms of violence.
Faculty Support
The Appalachian Justice Research Center seeks to support professional and tenure-track faculty at all stages of their careers to find meaningful pathways into community justice research.
Student Programs
The Appalachian Justice Research Center is dedicated to equipping students with the tools to build and sustain a thriving Appalachia.
“The Appalachian Justice Research Lab was a great opportunity to feel like I was able to give something back. This is the land that we live on, and it constantly shows up for us, so it felt like we were able to show up for it.”
Lili Dase
Student in the Appalachian Justice Research Lab