Browsing by Author "Lyon-Hill, Sarah"
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- “All the World’s a Stage” – Bridging the Generational Gap through TheatreNorouzi, Neda; Lyon-Hill, Sarah (Virginia Tech, 2014-11-05)This research arose from a shared interest and collaboration between two colleagues in different academic fields. Neda Norouzi is a doctoral student in Architecture and Human Development, interested in how the physical environment affects intergenerational collaboration. Sarah Lyon-Hill is a doctoral student in Urban Planning, studying community-based theatre as an alternative approach to community and economic development. Both authors have theatre backgrounds due to their fathers’ professorial careers in script writing and set design. Understanding their common background and interest in building collaborative relationships among diverse groups, these authors turned to the growing presence and effects of intergenerational theatre programs (IG theatre). IG theatre emerged from the community-based theatre movement, which focuses on building the capacity and voice of different and often marginalized groups within communities through intergroup collaboration and helping diverse groups find a shared community identity (Strimling 2004).
- As election dust settles in Virginia, don't forget the urban-rural ties that bind usCowell, Margaret; Lyon-Hill, Sarah (Richmond Times Dispatch, 2021-12-04)Op-Ed appeared in Richmond Times Dispatch on 12/4/21
- Assessing Opportunities for Agriculture and Agritourism at MontpelierMayer, Adam; Burke, Patrick; Ononpa, Nick; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Travis, Elli; Daugherty, Dick; Tate, Scott (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2015)Orange County, with a planning grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID), administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), engaged the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (VTOED) to explore sustainable agriculture and agritourism opportunities for land parcels owned by the Montpelier Foundation. As partners, Orange County and the Montpelier Foundation wished to assess opportunities for utilizing certain parcels of Montpelier’s 2,650 acres of land to support and add value to the county’s agriculture industry. The project inventoried and assessed development opportunities that would be a fit for Montpelier’s mission and the rural character of its Orange County surroundings, while offering potential to generate jobs, spur enterprise development, increase visitation, and enhance income in Orange County and the surrounding region. VTOED established a project working group, interviewed dozens of key informants and collected and analyzed agriculture and tourism data. Hundreds of opportunities were generated and pre-assessed.
- Assessing the Economic Impacts of a Small Satellites (SmallSat) Virginia InitiativeLyon-Hill, Sarah; Tate, Scott; Camacho, Luis (2015)CECE evaluated a proposal by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium for the Small Satellites Virginia Initiative program and found the program could bring up to $16.2 million to the state.
- Assessing the Impacts of Ability One at MelwoodLyon-Hill, Sarah; Mohammed, Afroze; Nagle, Lara; Moore, David; Seo, Hye-Jeong; Ulakey, Allison (Virginia Tech, 2022)In 2021, the nonprofit Melwood contracted with the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement and the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance (VTIPG) to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of their AbilityOne program. The goal was to assess the true cost of Melwood’s AbilityOne program to the federal government and understand the broader benefits of this socio-economic program. The AbilityOne Program, administered by an independent federal agency, facilitates the employment of people who are blind or have significant disabilities so they may achieve their maximum employment potential.
- Barriers and Drivers to Accessing and Using Workforce and Technical Assistance Resources for Small and Medium Manufacturers (SMMs) in Rural RegionsLyon-Hill, Sarah; Cowell, Margaret M.; Tate, Scott; Alwang, Albert (2018-12-14)Workforce shortages and market shifts have left many small and medium manufacturers (SMMs) struggling to maintain their operations. Still some SMMs tend not to utilize the workforce development and technical assistance resources available to them. This is particularly true of those in more rural regions where manufacturing is even more essential to the sustained vitality of these economies. This study explores the factors preventing these firms from pursuing and accessing these services. The authors used surveys and interviews to engage manufacturers with fewer than 500 employees in rural Southwestern Virginia and identify factors limiting their participation in these services. Findings indicate constant and consistent outreach to SMMs, regular engagement in social and economic networks, and a diverse array of services tailored to rural SMMs’ needs to play key roles in developing productive partnerships between SMMs and resource providers.
- Building Governance Capacity in Rural Niger: A Study of Decentralization and Good Governance Policy as Experienced in a Local VillageLyon-Hill, Sarah (Virginia Tech, 2012-05-10)Niger, a northwest African country with several systemic barriers to development, has made education a priority. In an effort to improve the national education system, Niger has implemented a decentralization program. This study examines the perceptions of local school actors concerning this decentralization policy, which prescribes improving access and quality to education and strengthening institutional capacity. Local interviews and an analysis of relevant policy documents reveal limited policy implementation at the local level accompanied by a lack of state capacity, accountability and responsiveness to local school needs. Moreover, interviewees perceive a decline in education quality due to these reforms. While policy review documents focus on building institutional capacity at the central and regional government levels, the locality examined has responded as best it can to the needs of its schools. These local efforts are hampered by few resources, limited capacity and understanding of the importance of education by citizens, as well as a mistrust in government institutions, including schools, among local community members. Community leadership, development of participatory public space and trust building, could improve local education capacity to a certain extent, however, strong central government that provides additional resources and builds the capacities of school staff is necessary.
- An Economic Impact Analysis of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music TrailLyon-Hill, Sarah; Dowd, Frances; Burke, Patrick (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016-03-01)The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail promotes Southwest Virginia’s music and culture by marketing over 60 cultural music venues across 19 counties, four independent cities and over 50 towns. Since 2003, The Crooked Road has branded the region as a unique place with one of the richest musical traditions and cultures in the world. Its work has contributed to the rise of interest in and appreciation for the region’s heritage music, helping to attract tourists, grow businesses, and improve Southwest Virginia’s quality of life for local residents. In 2015, the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development prepared a report that confirms these effects and estimates The Crooked Road’s economic impact.
- Economic Impact Analysis of Virginia Tech FootballLyon-Hill, Sarah; Alwang, Jeffrey R.; Mawyer, Adam; Burke, Patrick; Budzevski, Leeann (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2015-02-20)This report estimates the economic contributions of Virginia Tech football to the New River Valley MSA and the Roanoke Valley MSA (NRRV). Virginia Tech football contributes economically to the NRRV in two ways. First, the Virginia Tech Athletics Department collects football revenue from outside the NRRV and spends it inside the region for its operations. Second, Virginia Tech football attracts visitors, who might not otherwise come to the region, and their spending puts new money in the regional economy.
- The Economic Impact of Agency 229: An examination of industry and community impactsTravis, Elli; Alwang, Albert; Olberding, Beth; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Elliott-Engel, Jeremy; Provo, John (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2018-01)The social and economic impacts of Agency 229 on the Commonwealth of Virginia are vast and diverse. As a state-funded entity, legislative bodies often ask Agency 229 to illustrate those impacts. Currently, 229 faculty assess research and extension programming using quantitative metrics such as head-counts at trainings and research dollars awarded. Outcomes of activities are communicated qualitatively through impact statements that provide summary information on trainings and anecdotal evidence of benefits to attendees and those who benefit from direct technical assistance. Occasionally, researchers will team up with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics to assess the potential economic impact of an innovation. Others who focus on agricultural products sold through nationwide and commodity markets will compare yield gains over time and attribute a portion of gains to research and extension efforts. The numerous media headlines and narratives describing the localized impacts of research and technical assistance initiatives have been another powerful approach to telling Agency 229’s story. As the agency looks ahead, however, the growing trend for more data-driven funding justifications challenge Agency 229 to illustrate its economic impacts in different, more comprehensive ways that connect its activities to industry and community development in the commonwealth. This type of evaluation can further help prioritize resources and improve programming. Recently, Virginia’s state legislature released a mandate, directing Agency 229 to develop a strategy for leveraging state investment with industry partnerships that “result in technological and scientific advancements needed to grow the state’s agricultural and natural resource economy.” Moreover, Agency 229 has to consider its role in university-led initiatives such as the Virginia Agriculture and Natural Resources Initiative: Growing our future with public-private partnership and the Global Systems Science Complex and Destination Area. These initiatives offer opportunities to leverage resources and increase the agency’s overall economic impact. This study assesses the current impacts of Agency 229 as they relate to the economy of Commonwealth of Virginia and provides recommendations on how to leverage activities and funding to increase those impacts in the future. We begin by providing an overview of Agency 229 and different approaches to studying the economic impact of university entities. Many approaches exist; however, because impacts of such a large entity can be difficult to quantify or even qualify, not many institutions have endeavored to conduct a large comprehensive study of this type. We approach the assessment of the economic impact of Agency 229 using an industry and community case study lens. By looking at the influence of 229 extension and research innovations have on individual sectors of the economy and specific communities, we can uncover many of the causal mechanisms through which 229 activities affect change and in turn facilitate economic growth and development. We first review five industries that contribute significantly to Virginia’s agricultural economy and assess Agency 229 research and extension efforts as they relate to those sectors. We then take four communities located across the commonwealth as examples to identify social and economic impacts that VCE and Agency 229 research have at the county level.
- Examination of Economic and Community Development Opportunities Resulting from the Creation of a Community KitchenBonham, Whitney; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Erickson, Julie; Sirmons, Clarence (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2013)The Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (OED) was contracted by the City of Roanoke’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Freedom First Credit Union to evaluate community and economic development opportunities surrounding the creation of a community kitchen that would reside in the former Villa Sorrento restaurant facility located at 1223 Patterson Ave, SW. The initial request from the clients focused on exploring models for how a community kitchen may help to precipitate entrepreneurship and business development activities within the market study area. Identification of promising strategies for how this community kitchen may concurrently support neighborhood revitalization efforts, educational and workforce training initiatives, efforts to alleviate food insecurity, and promote the local foods movement were also noted as desirable outcomes of this report.
- Feasibility Analysis and Action Plan for a Regional Robotics Innovation HubTate, Scott; Daugherty, Dick; Tuttle, Mallory; Lyon-Hill, Sarah (Virginia Tech, 2023)In response to a request for services from the city of Newport News and the Hampton Roads Alliance, CECE, including their professional partner Richard (Dick) Daugherty, President of DAUGERS LLC, conducted a feasibility and opportunity analysis and associated action plan for a Regional Robotics Innovation Hub.
- Hillsville Farmers’ Market Feasibility StudyDowd, Frances; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Mawyer, Adam; Gould, Maeve (Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, 2016)OED conducted a feasibility study for a proposed farmer's market in downtown Hillsville, VA, with the goal of promoting healthy eating and making sure healthy foods are accessible to all community members. In 2020, Downtown Hillsville broke ground on the structure for their farmer's market.
- Measuring the Effects of Drone Delivery in the United StatesLyon-Hill, Sarah; Tilashalski, Melissa; Ellis, Kimberli; Travis, Elli (Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, 2020-09)OED, the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) studied the impact and benefits of drone delivery in three metropolitan communities, Christiansburg, VA; Austin, TX; and Columbus, OH.
- A New Institutionalist History of Appalshop: Exploring the Agential Dynamics of an Appalachian Community Cultural Development OrganizationLyon-Hill, Sarah (Virginia Tech, 2020-02-07)This research draws on New Institutionalist theory as interpreted by Fligstein and McAdam (2012) to explore the relationship between structure and agency within one nonprofit organization, Appalshop, located in Central Appalachia. Since 1969, Appalshop has worked with peer institutions to form a larger community cultural development (CCD) field, characterized by actors that value the potential of art and cultural activities to create space for individual and collective imagining and reimagining of communities. Through an exploration of archival documents and interviews with 18 current and former Appalshop staff, I analyzed the organization's 50-year evolution. I identified ways in which Appalshop has operated in the midst of different enabling and inhibiting structural forces, how its staff has sought to assert agency by contesting or circumventing those extant forces, and how the ensuing tensions have shaped the organization's approach to social change. During its evolution, Appalshop can be seen as having gone through four different stages characterized by changing national policy and culture as well as the actions of different generations of Appalshop staff. In order to withstand the growth of neoliberalism, changing technology and regional socioeconomic circumstance, Appalshop staff have had to adapt the organization's modus operandi to one that is more region facing and service based.
- Re: Reflections and explorations : Essays on politics, public policy, and governanceStephenson, Max O. Jr.; Kirakosyan, Lyusyena (Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance, 2015)We have organized the essays that follow in this volume into nine themes or broad topical foci based on the subjects our RE: Reflections and Explorations authors selected for their efforts during 2013-2014. A brief overview of our contributors’ organizing issues follows. Part 1 contains six essays that address the role(s) of the academy in society. Part 2 offers six essays that address questions central to the relationships among art, culture and politics. Part 3’s five essays treat issues linked to community building. Part 4 includes five essays that explore the challenges of public leadership at multiple scales and in a variety of contexts. Part 5’s eight essays examine a variety of concerns central to the characteristics and fundamentals of democratic citizenship and ethics. Part 6 consists of six essays that explore different dimensions of international politics. Part 7 of the volume comprises seven essays that directly or indirectly illuminate alternate facets of local and international development dynamics. Part 8 includes six essays that together analyze several manifestations or implications of neoliberalism, the current dominant public imaginary or frame in American and indeed, Western, politics. Part 9’s seven essays each afford readers alternate lenses into the dynamics and vicissitudes of change processes, as conceptualized at alternate analytical levels. The 56 essays together address a variety of concerns central to democratic politics and self-governance. The topics are as varied as our contributor’s substantive interests and perspectives, and that diversity yields a complex array of analytical insights. We hope you enjoy reading this richly textured collection as much as we have enjoyed assembling it.
- Regional Economic Recovery and Resilience ToolkitAshqar, Huthaifa; Chon, Chris; Gilmer, Lydia; McMillan, Alexis; Nagorniuk, Anna; Walbridge, Tia; O'Connor, Ryan; Woodson, Cat; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Provo, John; Tate, Scott; Jackson, Zach; Posthumous, Ashley (Virginia Tech, 2022-03)
- Rural Retreat Train Depot Stakeholder VisioningGould, Maeve; Hesenjan, Faruk; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Mawyer, Adam; Onopa, Nick; Provo, John (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016)In spring 2016 the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation commissioned the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development to assist in the visioning of the historic Rural Retreat Train Depot. This technical assistance included gathering background data on town and county demographics and industry trends, research on case studies and best practices, interviews with similar train depots, and conducting a stakeholder visioning meeting to determine possible uses of the train depot and examine how the train depot’s new function can best benefit the community. The Rural Retreat train depot was originally built in the 1850’s by the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and was both a freight and passenger station. It burned down during the Civil War and was rebuilt in 1867 in the Italianate architectural style, and is one of only three depots in the nation remaining of similar design. In the mid-1900’s the depot was no longer used as a train station and was sold to a company that used it as a warehouse. Over the years, the building began to slowly deteriorate and the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation acquired the building in 2011. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The Rural Retreat Train Depot Foundation formed to acquire, restore and manage Rural Retreat’s historic train depot as a means of preserving the culture of the region. The foundation is a non-profit organization whose board members include local business owners, a local food producer, local government officials and retired community members, many of whom have lived in Rural Retreat their entire lives. Each board member has a unique skill-set or interest such as music, local food, historic preservation, festivals, and Appalachian crafts. The foundation’s restoration master plan has two components: exterior restoration to the 1949 remodel condition and interior restoration to create an attractive, comfortable community space that will serve as the centerpiece for the town. The exterior restoration has largely been completed and interior restoration is ongoing. The train depot is currently home to a farmers market, available for community meetings, and is a versatile event rental space for family reunions, weddings, professional retreats, musical performances, and so on. The remainder of this report is broken up into four sections: 1) a review of select train depots in Appalachia and their reuses, 2) an overview of Rural Retreat regional data, 3) a summary of the April 27, 2016 Rural Retreat Visioning meeting, and 4) a synthesis of possible reuses for the train depot and recommendations.
- Same Ecosystem, Different Entrepreneurs: An assessment model for measuring diverse entrepreneurial ecosystemsLyon-Hill, Sarah; Tate, Scott; Cowell, Margaret M.; Gupta, Khushboo; Keneshlo, Yaser (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2017)This paper explores how to measure entrepreneurial ecosystems with an urban-rural mix by using Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s four indicators framework and while accounting for the needs of different types of entrepreneurs from main street to high growth firms.
- Vibrant Virginia: Engaging the Commonwealth to Expand Economic Vitality(Virginia Tech Publishing, 2022-02-03)Much has been written about Virginia’s urban-rural divide. Vibrant Virginia explores the many ways that communities and regions across Virginia are bridging that divide by working together to cultivate a strong, vibrant, and inclusive economy. Written by scholars and practitioners with deep knowledge of the issues affecting the Commonwealth today, the chapters explore urgent topics including expanding K–12 education reform, supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems, immigrant incorporation, and expanding broadband access. The authors also offer practical guidance for Virginia communities as they strive for a more resilient and prosperous future.