2026 Rural Renewal Research Prize awarded to ACE Department Head Sarah Low
The Rural Renewal Initiative at Oklahoma State University has awarded its 2026 Rural Renewal Research Prize to Sarah Low, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Rural Renewal Research Prize, granted to a global leader who embodies the RRI’s mission, recognizes its annual recipient as a leader in rural renewal research, education, and engagement. Low was selected for her commitment to participatory scholarship, Extension, and the circularity of research and outreach, highlighting its necessity in initiating evidence-based rural renewal.
“It is an honor to receive this recognition from RRI, given my longstanding commitment to rural communities. The symposium was a great opportunity to connect with practitioners, students interested in rural renewal from all over the Plains region, and an interdisciplinary group of scholars. I’m thankful to have been awarded this year’s research prize by such an outstanding group,” Low said.
The award’s distinction is directly in keeping with Low’s research, which focuses on broadband access, financial capital availability, value-added agriculture, spatial analysis, and entrepreneurship as a rural economic development strategy. Recently, her work utilizing the University of Illinois’s Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey has revealed sentiments about data center development in rural communities, highlighting how state and federal policy affect the lives and livelihoods of rural inhabitants.
Low’s formative experiences in rural areas sparked a deep concern for rural communities, which so often lack the resources and opportunities found by their urban counterparts. Low has taken that concern and turned it into the driving factor of her career.
With degrees from Iowa State University, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois, Low’s education prepared her for a varied career, including service at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the USDA Economic Research Service, and faculty and Extension leadership for the University of Missouri.
In her leadership role in the College of ACES, which houses Illinois Extension, Low has leveraged the network of Extension educators across the state to deepen her service to rural communities. Her vision for the Department of ACE’s contributions has focused on where Extension meets the needs of Illinois residents and beyond, specifically where federal, state, and local policies impact communities across the state and nation. This focus on policy centers her Extension work on tangible positive impacts to rural communities.
She has also contributed an abundance of pivotal research in the field of rural renewal, publishing over 50 papers covering topics from how online markets can impact rural farm sales to the differences in entrepreneurship between rural and urban populations.
“Dr. Low’s scholarship in rural renewal is the perfect complement to what we do in Extension. It’s a reciprocal relationship, with specialists in rural communities across Illinois sharing what they learn with Dr. Low, and vice versa,” said Matthew Vann, associate dean and director for Illinois Extension. “That’s exactly how Extension is supposed to work.”
As a leader, Low believes strongly in empowering mentees, peers, and students, preparing them to impact the field just as she has.
"It is clear she cares deeply for our department, our school, and our community," said Maria Kalaitzandonakes, assistant professor in the Department of ACE. "I feel really lucky to have her shepherding me through the early faculty years."
As part of her award, Low gave the keynote address, “Research Benefitting Rural People: A Narrative on Health Disparities,” at RRI’s annual Rural Renewal Symposium on October 28th.