Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor and senior demographer at the University of NH in Durham, is one of 33 national scholars to receive a 2016 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. Funded by the Carnegie Corporation in New York, Fellows receive up to $200,000 to fund scholarly research and writing focused on social sciences and humanities.
“This is an incredible honor,” says Johnson. “I have studied rural America throughout my career, and it is gratifying to see recognition for not only this often forgotten part of America, but the important role the social sciences play in understanding big policy questions.”
Johnson, the only 2016 Fellow from NH, will begin a comprehensive analysis of available demographic data for insights into the impact of the Great Recession and an influx of Hispanics on rural America.
“These two powerful demographic forces have significant implications for three critical factors that influence access to opportunities: child poverty, local government resources and political incorporation,” says Johnson. “Rural concerns are often overlooked in a policy environment dominated by urban-centric media, policymakers and foundation.”
In 2013, Johnson received UNH’s faculty award for excellence in research, and in 2011, he was recognized with the Rural Sociological Society’s excellence in research award for his contributions to rural research.
Current Issue - May 2024