Veronica Womack, PhD

Executive Director, Rural Studies Institute, Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA

Veronica L. Womack, PhD serves as inaugural executive director of the Rural Studies Institute at Georgia College & State University and professor of Political Science and Public Administration. She hails from the Alabama Black Belt region and currently works in the Georgia Black Belt. She received her BA of Communications and her MPA and PhD in Political Science from the University of Alabama. An advocate and researcher of the Southern Black Belt region, Dr. Womack’s work highlights the rich history, Southern foodways, socioeconomic and political culture and traditions of rural people in the American South. She is a noted author, practitioner, and researcher of the region. She is founder of the Black Farmers Network, a website that highlights the legacy of African American farmers within the Black Belt region. She has been featured on various media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, GPB, The Nation, and Georgia Trend for her work in the region. Funders of her research include USDA, the Robert W. Johnson foundation, and the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP). (Milledgeville, GA)