ennessee Tech University will soon welcome crowds of scholars, researchers and artisans when it hosts the 48th annual Appalachian Studies Association conference on March 20-22, 2025.
The three-day event, titled “Rural Reimagined: A Grand Challenge for Appalachia,” will include presentations from at least 40 Tech faculty and students and nearly a half-dozen free events open to the community, alongside roughly 160 presentations and performances for ticketed guests.
Erin Hoover, assistant professor of English at Tech and program chair for this year’s conference, says the gathering will explore the creative uses of technology, science and the arts with the greatest potential to transform life in and around the Appalachian region’s rural communities – including the Upper Cumberland.
“Tennessee Tech’s location offers a great meeting place to think about the opportunities and challenges of rural life,” said Hoover. “And I think we have a chance to demonstrate the strong scholarship that happens at Tech, in connection with the region.”
A highlight of the event for Cookeville locals and Tech alums will be the free “Memorial Gym Memories Community Event” on Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
The presentation, held inside Memorial Gym on Tech’s main quad, will highlight the rich musical history of the venue, which once hosted acts ranging from the Charlie Daniels Band and Ray Charles to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Linda Ronstadt.
James Akenson, a Tech faculty member of over 50 years who also serves as co-chair of the International Country Music Conference, will lead the event alongside Tech archivist Megan Atkinson and others.
“We are eager to shine a light on this beloved campus fixture through the lens of those who have experienced its history firsthand,” said Monic Ductan, associate professor of English at Tech and this year’s conference chair.
Other free presentations and events open to the public during the conference include:
- “Teaching Affrilachia: Cultivating Community and Culture” – Friday, March 21 at 11 a.m. in Stonecipher 113 and 126: This presentation will discuss the contributions of Black residents of Appalachia (often referred to as Affrilachians) to local poetry and culture.
- “Rural Appalachia in Global Context: Reimagining a Just and Sustainable Future” – Friday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Stonecipher 114 and 126: John Gaventa is a Tennessee native now a professor at the Institute of Development Studies based at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. His keynote address will discuss Appalachia’s place in the world and its challenges, along with other regions similarly affected.
- Live music: The Bilbreys – Friday, March 21 at 8 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Cookeville: The Bilbreys are a local family musical group that has been performing across middle Tennessee for 45 years. Join them for a free concert incorporating bluegrass, gospel and western styles of music.
- “We’re all we’ve got: fighting for Appalachia when institutions fail us” – Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. in Stonecipher 113 and 126: This plenary session will present a conversation between writers Neema Avashia and Ann Pancake, both of whom have produced major literary works advocating for the Appalachian region.
During the gathering, various spaces on Tech’s campus will hold open houses for conference attendees and non-ticket holders alike. The Water Center will hold an open house on Friday, March 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and the iMakerSpace will be open to guests at the same time on Saturday. The Appalachian Center for Craft will also host demonstrations from visiting artists from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
“Appalachian Studies is an interdisciplinary field, and I’m excited to have an incredible variety of scholars traveling to Tech to present their work in person, alongside many of our own,” concluded Hoover. “We’re really proud of the collaborative effort this conference represents within our Tennessee Tech community.”
For guests seeking paid admission for the full conference experience, onsite registration will be offered at the Roaden University Center throughout the event. Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Learn more at www.appalachianstudies.org/2025-conference.
