It reminds me of a quote made by the late Tip O'Neill, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who once said that all politics are local politics.
Research is much the same.
The impact of these findings, often felt on the national level, eventually comes back and influences our local region. A major project currently under way is the production of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia , set to be published in 2001. As director of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services, Dr. Jean H. Speer has been a key leader in the development of this authoritative volume, which will include such topics as Appalachian culture, economy, geography, history, and much more. In addition, Peplies, through a campus contact grant, has been involved in measuring the impact of trees in the community at-large. Dr. Bob Acuff at ETSU's Center for Nutrition Research is leading a study that focuses on possible alternative uses of tobacco, a major cash crop in East Tennessee.