"Promoting Community and Economic Development in the Rustbelt" - Christopher D. Merrett

The Geography Club's Map & Munch will be hosting Dr. Merrett, director and professor in the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University. He will summarize some of the macroscale forces that are shaping the economic landscape of the Midwest, especially in small cities and rural communities. He will then explore specific strategies used by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, and other community-based organizations, to promote community-engaged economic development.