Veronica L. Womack serves as the inaugural Executive Director of the Rural Studies Institute at Georgia College and Professor of Political Science and Public Administration. She hails from the Alabama Black Belt region and currently works in the Georgia Black Belt.  She received her BA of Communications, MPA and Ph.D., in Political Science from the University of Alabama.

An advocate and researcher of the Southern Black Belt region, she has a deep passion for the American South and brings to life the region’s rich history, diverse foodways and the long standing socioeconomic and political culture of its rural communities. She is a noted practitioner and researcher of the region, revealing the rich traditions that shape the region, while championing its future. Her work is dedicated to tapping the region’s full potential and ensuring its people, traditions, stories, and cultural heritage are preserved and celebrated. She is the founder of the Blackfarmersnetwork.com, a website that highlights the legacy of African American farmers, within the Black Belt region. She has been featured on various media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, GPB, The Nation, and Georgia Trend for her work in the region. Funders of her research include USDA, the Robert W. Johnson foundation, the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, and the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP).