Appalachian Studies Association

What Appalachian Studies Association does

The Appalachian Studies Association (ASA) is a 501(c)-style non-profit professional association founded in 1977 and headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Its stated mission is to promote research, scholarship, education, creative expression, and action among scholars, educators, practitioners, grassroots activists, students, and institutions interested in Appalachian history, culture, and society. The organization is governed by a Steering Committee and elected officers, with a small staff led by Executive Director Mary Thomas and Office Manager Ann E. Bryant, with current President Meredith McCarroll and Vice President Sophia M. Enríquez.

ASA's core products are the peer-reviewed Journal of Appalachian Studies (JAS), published twice per year by the University of Illinois Press, and the annual conference, which rotates across Appalachian host institutions and draws 500+ attendees (the 50th conference is scheduled for 2027 at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania). Supporting offerings include the Appalink and Appalachian Curator newsletters, the Y'ALL newsletter, the APPALNET LISTSERV hosted at the University of Kentucky, the H-Appalachia discussion board via H-Net, and a portfolio of awards (Weatherford Awards in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction; Cratis D. Williams/James S. Brown Service Award; Helen M. Lewis Community Service Award; Jack Spadaro Documentary Award; Carl A. Ross Student Paper Award; Stephen L. Fisher Teaching Award; e-Appalachia Award; Gates-Carawan Artist Award) and fellowships (Wilma Dykeman Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at $3,000).

ASA generates revenue almost entirely from conference proceeds and individual/institutional membership fees, with no disclosed outside funding. Membership tiers are $115 (regular) and $90 (student), processed through the University of Illinois Press portal. The organization maintains strategic operational partnerships with Marshall University (headquarters and administrative support), University of Illinois Press (publishing, membership, conference registration), University of Kentucky (Appalnet listserv), Berea College (founding conference site and sponsor), and an MOU with the Appalachian Regional Commission signed in 2009. Its ~10+ named institutional members include Appalachian State University, Radford University, Indiana University School of Medicine, Marietta College, Appalshop, and the Appalachian Community Fund. The organization has no app, no public API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no disclosed patents or trademarks.

Name

Appalachian Studies Association

Legal name

Appalachian Studies Association

Website

https://appalachianstudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Appalachian Studies Association is a 501(c)-style non-profit professional association, founded in 1977 and headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, that promotes Appalachian research and education through a peer-reviewed journal, an annual conference drawing 500+ attendees, membership dues, and a portfolio of awards and fellowships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scholarly Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAN

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYMPAGAGAD

Academic & Scientific Conferences

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Scholarly association services
• Academic journal publishing
• Academic conference services
• Professional membership association
• Scholarly awards programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Revenue: ASA operates almost entirely on proceeds from conference revenues. The annual conference is the primary revenue driver, with registration fees that do not fully cover conference costs, requiring support from host sites.
2. Membership Fees: Membership fees collected through University of Illinois Press portal. Regular membership $115, Student membership $90. Includes subscription to Journal of Appalachian Studies and access to newsletter (Appalink) and conference mailings.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Appalachian Studies Association is a non-profit professional association that promotes and engages dialogue, research, scholarship, education, creative expression, and action among scholars, educators, practitioners, grassroots activists, and students focused on Appalachian history, culture, and society. ASA delivers this through an annual conference, a peer-reviewed biannual journal, membership programs, awards and fellowships, and associated newsletters, plus the Conference Digital Collection, all delivered in partnership with Marshall University, the University of Illinois Press, and the University of Kentucky.

Product overview

The Appalachian Studies Association operates as a professional academic organization offering a portfolio of scholarly products and services centered on Appalachian research, education, and community engagement. The core offerings include the Journal of Appalachian Studies (a peer-reviewed journal published biannually by the University of Illinois Press), the annual conference series (the 50th anniversary conference scheduled for 2027), and various awards programs including the Weatherford Awards for literary achievement and the Cratis D. Williams/James S. Brown Service Award. Supporting products include the Appalink newsletter, Appalachian Curator (archives newsletter), Y'ALL newsletter (LGBTQ+ focused), the APPALNET LISTSERV for member communication, and fellowship programs such as the Wilma Dykeman Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship. The organization also maintains a Conference Digital Collection for archival access to past conference materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Conference The annual Appalachian Studies Association conference bringing together scholars, educators, activists, and students for panels, presentations, and networking. Recent and upcoming venues include Marshall University (2026), Tennessee Tech (2025), Ohio University (2023), and West Virginia University (2022), with typical attendance of 500+.
• Journal of Appalachian Studies (JAS) The official refereed, multidisciplinary journal of the Appalachian Studies Association, published twice per year by the University of Illinois Press, providing a scholarly forum for research on Appalachian history, culture, and society. Subscription included with ASA membership.
• Appalink Newsletter The official newsletter of the Appalachian Studies Association, providing updates on organizational activities, conference information, and news to members.
• Appalachian Curator A newsletter about Appalachian special collections and archives, featuring updates on collections, community archive projects, and new resources in Appalachian special collections.
• Weatherford Awards Literary awards recognizing outstanding contributions in Appalachian literature, presented annually in categories including Fiction, Poetry, and Non-Fiction (e.g., 2016 awards for Steven E. Nash 'Reconstruction's Ragged Edge', Crystal Wilkinson 'The Birds of Opulence', and Marc Harshman 'Believe What You Can').
• Cratis D. Williams/James S. Brown Service Award A prestigious service award recognizing individuals for outstanding contributions to the Appalachian Studies Association and the field (e.g., 2017 award and 2013 award to David Whisnant for exemplary contributions to Appalachia and Appalachian Studies).
• Wilma Dykeman Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship A $3,000 fellowship supporting research related to gender, race, and/or ethnicity in Appalachia for doctoral degree holders within the past seven years.
• Gates-Carawan Artist Award An award recognizing artistic potential or contributions to Appalachia in visual, oral, musical, literary, or other arts, including a $500 stipend or mentorship opportunity.
• APPALNET LISTSERV A LISTSERV hosted by the University of Kentucky for Appalachian Studies Association members to share news about current issues, scholarship, and Appalachian-related information.
• Y'ALL Newsletter A newsletter focused on LGBTQ+ Appalachian issues and voices within the Appalachian Studies Association community.
• Conference Digital Collection Digital archives of past Appalachian Studies Association conferences, including programs, proceedings, and multimedia content.

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2009Memorandum of Understanding signed July 23, 2009 to collaborate on activities benefiting Appalachian people, region, and communities. ASA passed resolution supporting ARC's use of funds.
• Marshall UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA is headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Marshall University provides office space and administrative support for the association. The university also hosts the MSW program as an organizational member.
• University of Illinois PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishes the Journal of Appalachian Studies twice yearly on behalf of ASA. Handles membership subscriptions and conference registration through their secure payment portal.
• Berea CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of ASA activities. The first Appalachian Studies Conference was held at Berea College in 1978. The college houses the bell hooks center and has been a foundational institution in Appalachian studies.
• University of KentuckyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Appalnet listserv for ASA community communications. The university is a founding institutional presence in Appalachian studies with its Appalachian Center and Bert T. Combs Appalachian Collection.
• WSCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor of ASA activities.
• Marshall University College of Education and Professional Development (COEPD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor of ASA activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Studies Association: National interdisciplinary association for scholars of American culture and history, with peer-reviewed journals (American Quarterly) and a large annual convention. Comparable in structure (membership, journal, annual conference) but with a broader, national scope than ASA's regional focus.
• American Folklore Society: National scholarly society for folklore studies, with a peer-reviewed Journal of American Folklore and annual meeting. Strong overlap with ASA's cultural-studies, regional, and grassroots-community orientation, including a focus on Appalachian traditions.
• Popular Culture Association: Interdisciplinary academic association that runs a large annual conference and publishes the Journal of Popular Culture. Structurally similar membership-and-conference model with a humanities/cultural-studies orientation overlapping ASA.
• Appalshop: Whitesburg, KY-based multidisciplinary arts, media, and cultural organization serving Appalachia. An organizational member of ASA and one of the most prominent regional cultural institutions working at the scholar-practitioner intersection ASA convenes.
• Southern Historical Association: Long-standing regional academic association publishing a journal and hosting an annual conference on Southern US history and culture. Directly comparable to ASA as a regional humanities scholarly society that depends on membership dues and annual conference revenue.
• Society for the Study of Southern Literature: Regional literary scholarly society aligned with ASA's Weatherford Award work, publishing scholarship and hosting conferences on Southern US literature. Mirrors ASA's model of journal, conference, and literary awards.
• Oral History Association: Interdisciplinary association that publishes the Oral History Review and convenes an annual meeting for practitioners and scholars. Overlaps with ASA on regional/community storytelling, archival practice, and grassroots practitioner membership.

Emerging players

• Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association: Regional academic association hosting an annual conference for popular/American culture scholars. Smaller scale than ASA but operates an analogous conference-and-membership model aimed at humanities researchers in a defined region.

Broad incumbents

• Appalachian Regional Commission: Federal-state economic development partnership covering the same 420-county Appalachian region. Partner to ASA via 2009 MOU, but operates as a much larger policy and funding body in the same regional ecosystem.
• Berea College Appalachian Center: Major institutional member of ASA and the site of ASA's founding 1978 conference. Functions as a comparable regional academic and community-engagement hub focused on Appalachian studies within a higher education setting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUl6g8CztyMYttBcXNoR9sw
• Facebookfacebook.com/appalachstudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/appalachian-studies-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/appalachstudies/?hl=en
• Xx.com/appalachstudies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Appalachian Studies Association