Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Professor Dr. Jewrell Rivers, President of the Georgia Sociological Association (GSA), will share his expertise and leadership at a major statewide conference in Tifton this November.

As GSA President, Dr. Rivers will preside over the Georgia Sociological Association Conference, set for Nov. 5–7 at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture, hosted by ABAC. This year’s conference theme, “Advancing Rural Sociology: Toward Navigating a Rural Landscape,” holds special significance for South Georgia and its communities.

The conference will feature Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ph.D., MBA, MA, BA, as the opening plenary speaker. Dr. Shankar-Brown is an award-winning professor and the JBD Distinguished Chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson University, as well as a nationally and internationally renowned educator, author, and human and civil rights activist. Dr. Shankar-Brown will speak on rural poverty and homelessness, and her lecture presentation is free and open to the ABAC community and the general public.

Dr. Rivers, a professor of Sociology, Marriage and Family, and Criminal Justice at ABAC, brings a distinguished record of scholarship and service to this role. In addition to teaching a wide range of courses, he has contributed to numerous academic publications in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Family Social Work, Ethnographic and Qualitative Research, and the Law Enforcement Executive Forum.

His tenure as GSA President adds to an impressive list of professional leadership roles. Throughout his career, Dr. Rivers has served in key positions and presented papers at the National Council on Family Relations, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the Rural Sociological Society, the Southeastern Council of Family Relations, and the Georgia Sociological Association. Dr. Rivers also serves on several boards, including the Board of Trustees for the Tift County Commission on Children and Youth (TCCCY), the Tift Child Abuse Council, the Social Work Advisory Board for Albany State University, the Grievance Committee for the Tift Housing Authority, and the United Way Board.

At ABAC, he currently mentors students as advisor for the Helping Professions Association (HPA), the Criminal Justice Club, and the Black Student Union (BSU), and he also serves as the advisor for the African American Male Initiative (AAMI). Within the University System of Georgia, Dr. Rivers serves on the prestigious Regents Advisory Committee for Sociology. He also reaches students beyond ABAC by teaching sociology for eCore, a flexible and affordable online class option.

For questions, please contact Dr. Rivers at [email protected] or 229-391-5088.