Professor Pifer to participate in White House Rural Forum at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Clinical Professor of Law Ross Pifer, director of the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law and the Rural Economic Development Clinic, has been invited to participate in a White House Rural Forum convened by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Penn State’s University Park campus on Oct. 5.

The invitation-only event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Heritage Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center. The forum will be live-streamed for the public at wpsu.org/event.

Vilsack will be joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, rural leaders and state and federal officials. Participants will include Nick Jones, Penn State vice president and provost, Rick Roush, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, and Russell Redding, Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture.

The forum is aimed at urging lawmakers, foundations and nonprofits, and the private sector to recognize the opportunities in America's rural communities to ensure continued momentum for social and economic progress.

Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with @USDA (#RuralResults) on Twitter and Facebook to share their perspective on some of the most important challenges facing rural communities today, including economic growth, quality of life, and access to nutritious food and health care.

The forum will feature remarks by Vilsack and Wolf and panel discussions focusing on economic drivers and quality of life in rural America.