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The South Dakota Census Data Center has been officially renamed the Center for Rural Vitality and Community Well-Being. The center, housed in the South Dakota State University School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies, is launching a search for a rural sociologist in collaboration with ������Ƶ Extension. 

The mission of the center is to assist in accessing census data for effective decision making. With a focus on South Dakota, the center provides data, in-depth analysis of data, and training to individuals, businesses and governmental agencies. 

Center specializations include rural demographics and migration trends, transportation and Indian Country data. The center also fosters community engagement and interdisciplinary research associated with rural vitality and community well-being. 

The Center for Rural Vitality and Community Well-Being will maintain a cooperative relationship between the U.S. Census Bureau and ������Ƶ. Examples of previous data collected and mapped include pregnancy outcomes, mortality rates by county, health measures and economic datasets. 

“We greatly appreciate working together with ������Ƶ Extension,” said Paul Markel, director of the School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies. “Consistent with our land-grant mission, we have a long history of rural studies at ������Ƶ and look forward to our center reinvigorating this emphasis by fostering focused areas of applied interdisciplinary research collaboration and community engagement with stakeholders across the state of South Dakota.”