The C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy aims to lead an internationally recognized research and outreach program on critical issues facing rural and urban communities, as well as their intersection. Led by Dr. Gabriel E. Lade, we use innovative data and statistical approaches, grounded in economic theory, to create actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders and communities across Ohio and beyond. Dr. Lade’s research studies the impacts of renewable energy and agri-environmental policy, the value of rural and urban water quality, and land-use management.

C. William (Bill) Swank (1931-2019) worked at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation for over 40 years, including as Executive Vice President from 1968 to 1996. A distinguished alumnus (BA, MA, and PhD) of The Ohio State University and an Air Force veteran, Bill recognized early in his career that rural and urban communities are deeply connected and that solving their shared challenges requires thoughtful, objective research. In 1995, the Nationwide Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, along with friends, colleagues and members of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, established an endowment to create the C. William Swank Chair in Rural-Urban Policy.

The program’s mission is to produce actionable applied economic research on the issues shaping the future of rural and urban communities, while training the next generation of students working on rural-urban economic challenges.