OSU student research expands this summer to new rural communities

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Media Contact: Gail Ellis | Editorial Communications Coordinator | 405-744-9152 | gail.ellis@okstate.edu

Students from Oklahoma State University and other universities nationwide are gearing up for the 2025 Rural Scholar experience offered by OSU’s Rural Renewal Initiative.

Now in its sixth year, the Rural Scholars program is a paid internship experience in which students live in rural Oklahoma communities for 10 weeks while researching rural issues, participating in service projects, and supporting community initiatives.

The following 12 OSU students will begin their internships in the following communities in late May.

• Emma Buchanan; Sallisaw, Oklahoma: assessing mental health resources, strengths and needs
• Mounika Gopishetty; Altus, Oklahoma, evaluating the presence of E. coli and bacterial contamination in water sources within rural communities
• Greta Hamre; Langston, Oklahoma: the measured and perceived impact of marijuana production and commerce on rural economies, public utilities and quality of life
• Ashtyn Humphreys; Altus, Oklahoma: examining the relationship between participation in 4-H and FFA youth programs and Oklahoma rural community outmigration patterns
• Gabe Morgan; Altus, Oklahoma: exploring non-emergency medical transportation in southwest Oklahoma
• Justin Rein; Jay, Oklahoma: feasibility study of community paramedicine for chronic disease management in rural Oklahoma
• Kierson Reasner; Hollis, Oklahoma: digital media perspective from female agricultural producers in Oklahoma
• Angelique Robinson; Wilburton, Oklahoma: examining the effects of diabetes, lack of access to proper nutrition, and exercise on the health outcomes of rural populations
• Joel Sahmaunt and Elizabeth Winn; Ada, Oklahoma: working to improve the lives of rural Oklahomans through increasing protective factors: learning strategies of resilience from the American Indian culture
• Landry Whorton; Hollis, Oklahoma: examining how youth in rural communities view climate change

Robinson joins the Rural Scholars program this year to continue a study on obesity, exercise and diabetes in rural Oklahoma communities. The findings from 2024 revealed a heightened prevalence of obesity and diabetes.

“Having once lived in a remote northern California town, I’ve seen firsthand the effects of limited access to medical care and nutritious food,” Robinson said. “I hope to help identify actionable, community-driven strategies for improving health outcomes.”

The Rural Renewal Initiative launched a second variation of the Rural Scholars internship in 2024. Known as the Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates program, it invites students from universities across the country to participate.

Linnea Harvey, coordinator of the Rural Renewal Initiative, said both Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates cohorts have expanded the reach of the Rural Scholars program, gaining rural perspectives from other regions of the U.S.

“We’re excited to see how rural Oklahoma makes an impression on the students who didn’t grow up here,” she said. “Having outside perspectives get involved in these communities encourages both our scholars and rural community leaders to learn from one another and have a successful experience throughout the internship.”

The 2025 Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates participants are:

• Olivia Coody; Grandfield, Oklahoma: reducing out-migration through youth-adult partnerships
• Leena Gamboa (Texas A&M University); Hollis, Oklahoma: fostering shared identity through the understanding of the rural narrative
• Isabelle Gloria (Western Oklahoma State College); Altus, Oklahoma: impact analysis of informal STEM learning opportunities in the K-12 population
• Charles Lewis (University of Missouri – Columbia) and Logan Fraley (Texas A&M University); Tipton, Oklahoma; examining trends in groundwater quality in Oklahoma wells
• Tania Peebles (Tuskegee University); Langston, Oklahoma: support and empowerment for black farmers
• Amy Rodriguez (Texas A&M University); Sallisaw, Oklahoma: the loss of rural veterinarians
• Robert Wagner (Texas A&M University); Wilburton, Oklahoma: creating a practical roadmap to improving treatment for diabetes and understanding of the disease in rural communities within Oklahoma
• Jada Wilson (Southern University A&M); Altus, Oklahoma: renewable energy technologies for sustainable agriculture
• Chyanne Williams (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University); Langston, Oklahoma: how to uplift youth in Oklahoma’s historical all-Black towns

As a student at the rural college of Tuskegee University in Alabama, Tania Peebles, a second-time Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates scholar, will continue research she was involved in last summer that focused on support for Black farmers.

“My goal is to build a strong foundation of research that highlights the Black farmers’ experiences, explores how they relate to their work and identifies meaningful ways others can support them,” Peebles said. “This program opened my eyes to the everyday lives of rural Americans. I discovered so much about how these communities connect and operate.”

The rural research experience has inspired Robinson to pursue a dual doctorate in veterinary medicine and a doctor of philosophy in entomology. Peebles plans to earn a master’s degree in agricultural leadership and education.

Harvey said the program would remain in communities like Frederick and Hollis while also exploring new areas in 2025, including Delaware, Logan and Latimer counties.

To learn more about the rural scholar internships, contact Harvey at linnea.harvey@okstate.edu.