Tim Slack

Tim Slack, LSU professor of sociology

Tim Slack, LSU professor of sociology, has co-authored a new book titled “Rural and Small-Town America: Context, Composition, and Complexities” (University of California Press, 2024).

The book paints a social scientific portrait of rural America and confronts common misunderstandings about rural people and places. A central premise is that despite romanticized notions of rural America as the way things used to be, social change abounds.

Slack co-authored the book with Shannon M. Monnat, professor of sociology and Lerner Chair in Public Health Promotion and Population Health at Syracuse University.

Especially as contemporary society increasingly focuses on urban life, Slack and Monnat stress the importance of learning from rural communities. They examine how social, economic and demographic changes have created challenges and opportunities for rural America that have nationwide implications.

Slack is a professor in the LSU Department of Sociology. He has taught almost 5,000 students during his career at the university, while publishing extensively on issues confronting rural America. He has also been an investigator on over $18 million in funded research projects supported by the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture, among other sources.

Slack regularly presents research to academic and policy-oriented groups, including the Louisiana State Legislature. His expertise is also often sought by major media outlets, such as The New York Times, USA Today, and The Advocate.

He has been the recipient of the LSU Rainmaker Award, LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award, and LSU Distinguished Faculty Award, all university-wide honors.