Jump to Spring 2025 Lab Sections
The Appalachian Justice Research Lab (AJRL) is an interdisciplinary laboratory space designed to conduct and disseminate research that supports the needs and priorities of Appalachian communities directly impacted by poverty, inequalities, and various forms of violence. The AJRL is made up of a Lecture (1 credit) and Lab (3 credits) which run as co-requisites and which we refer to together as the AJRL. Each semester a new group of faculty come together, each with responsibility to directly supervise students in research teams, projects, and curricula; the Lecture is coordinated by the co-directors of the Appalachian Justice Research Center who, in collaboration with each semesters’ faculty cohort, design and deliver the AJRL.
The AJRL is modeled on the structure of curricula in clinical legal education. To participate in the AJRL, students will apply (during registration) to participate in a particular section of the Lab. Each section will have a particular research focus and will often include undergraduate and graduate students, including law, social work, and other professional students (Yes, everyone in one course – just like the real world!). As is the case in legal clinics, the project work conducted by students and faculty is at the core of the curriculum. In addition to regular instructional hours, faculty teams supervising work during the semester will meet at least once a week with their teams, designing and supervising work plans and supporting students in the creation of work products and community deliverables. This is the “lab” component of the course, which takes up most of students’ course hours.
While students will spend most of their time working in their sections on their specific research projects, students will also meet regularly as a larger group which will include all students enrolled in any section and any project of the AJRL. In those larger lecture and workshop settings, students will participate in the following activities:
Conceptual and Theoretical Modules
Students will study and discuss foundations in sociolegal and justice theories, concepts, and emergent debates. In addition, every semester will launch with instruction around what community collaborative and participatory action research is and how it differs from other modes of research and engagement.
Skills Modules
In any given semester, projects will require methods and skill sets instruction on specific topics. Students may for example study oral history, legal research and reasoning, interviewing and focus groups, archival research, and A.I. image generation.
Rounds
At least once a month all AJRL students, regardless of project team, will meet together in AJRL rounds. During those sessions student teams will present their work to each other and will engage the entire class in collaborative problem solving applicable to their ongoing work.
Spring 2025 Lab Sections
Section 1: Digital Research Collaborative: Appalachia, Art, and Abolition
Instructor: Professor Vivian Swayne (Sociology)
Course description: The Spring 2025 “Digital Research Collaborative: Appalachia, Art, and Abolition” section of the AJRL will engage students in the development of research on the topic of abolition. Students will join a digital research collaborative of artists, scholars, students, curators, and organizers who work to preserve and amplify social movement art. The collaborative hosts Abolition Now: Images for Study and Struggle, a digitally curated, searchable, and open-source database that documents an unprecedented flow of social movement art in the era of “new abolition,” which spans from the birth of the Movement for Black Lives (circa 2012), through the George Floyd uprisings, and into the present. AN features interviews with artists, curators, and organizers about the contexts of their work edited into video vignettes. When possible, AN traces how people reuse and repurpose movement art. The platform includes educational commentary, artist and concept study guides, a submission portal, and user guides to empower people to build their own Canopy-IIIF digital exhibit or archive. The cumulative design of the database generates a rich terrain to study and connect with the ongoing world presence of new abolition images. It is a space of study where people, whether new to or familiar with abolition, can make connections between movements; witness symbols of beauty, hope, disgust, grief, and rage; and explore for alternative paths to justice.
With a particular focus on the Appalachian South, AN will train students in content generation, coding metadata, visual and thematic analysis, interview skills, and video production using Adobe Premiere. By the end of the semester, students will have (1) practiced intercoder consistency; (2) contributed relevant art created by Appalachian artists to the database, including reuses and circulation; (3) built study guides for artists and major concepts; (4) interviewed at least one Appalachian or Southern artist; and (5) produced a video vignette from the interview to be featured on the site.
Section 2: A.I. for Appalachian Futures: Just Transition and Sustainable Land Use
Instructor: Professor Scottie McDaniel (Landscape Architecture)
Course description: This Spring 2025 course, offered through the Appalachian Justice Research Lab (AJRL), focuses on using A.I. to support Appalachian communities impacted by resource extraction. Students will design and implement a series of A.I.-driven workshops aimed at helping residents visualize and advocate for a just landscape transition. A just transition ensures that environmentally sustainable economies are promoted in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned.
The lab features close collaboration with community organizers in the Clearfork Valley of Tennessee, including members of Tennessee Appalachian Community Economies (TNACE). Through these partnerships, students will engage with grassroots efforts for regional change, gaining firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by these communities. Working in transdisciplinary teams, students will develop and deliver curriculum, exploring methods in pedagogy, creative writing, A.I. image generation, and community engagement. The workshops will take place in the Clearfork Valley, where students will assist residents – youth and adults – in creating narratives and visual imagery to reflect their visions for future land use. At the end of the semester, these collaborative works will be showcased at a community event hosted at the Clearfork Community Institute. This course is connected to ongoing research between the School of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Geography and Sustainability and will continue to evolve through the AJRL.
Section 3: Heirs’ Property and the Power of Story: Oral Histories in Rural Appalachia
Instructor: To be announced
Course description: This course invites students to explore the pressing issue of heirs’ property in rural Tennessee through the lens of oral histories. Partnering with community organizations, this course will focus on the complex legal and social landscape surrounding heirs’ property—land passed down through generations without clear titles, often leaving owners vulnerable to land loss and economic stagnation.
Significant time will be spent traveling to these rural communities, conducting on-site interviews and gathering multimedia content, providing an immersive learning experience outside of the traditional classroom. Students should anticipate full-day trips during the semester, as well as hands-on fieldwork that requires adaptability and a commitment to authentic, community-centered storytelling. Students will engage deeply with local landowners, conducting oral history interviews that illuminate the personal, historical, and cultural significance of these properties. The course offers a unique, hands-on opportunity to practice participatory media techniques—recording, editing, and producing audio narratives that amplify the voices of marginalized communities in Appalachia. These stories will serve as both a crucial resource for landholders navigating complex legal systems and a compelling body of work to inspire equitable policy change.
By combining creative storytelling with actionable legal insights, students will contribute to a transformative model for rural economic development. Projects will culminate in a public exhibit and contribute to a policy paper aimed at moving the needle on rural poverty and wealth gaps in Tennessee. This course not only empowers students with documentary storytelling skills but also offers them a chance to make a meaningful impact in addressing one of Appalachia’s most persistent economic challenges.
How to Apply for the AJRL
Applications for Spring 2025 are OPEN! Students are required to complete an AJRL application and receive approval prior to registering for the AJRL. Applications are open to undergraduate and graduate students. Priority applications are due by Friday, October 11th at 5:00PM ET.
Want more info? Join us for a Virtual AJRL Information Session on Tuesday, October 1st at 3:00PM or Wednesday, October 9th at 2:00PM. Click the date to register.