摘要：The late Professor Ronald E. Shaffer, distinguished
agricultural economist and regional scientist of the
University of Wisconsin, actively sought to bridge the
divide between the worlds of research and policy
making. As a young faculty member with a joint appointment
in the Department of Agricultural and Applied
Economics and University of Wisconsin-
Extension, and later through his leadership of the UWExtension
Center for Community Economic Development
and the National Rural Economic Development
Institute, he accumulated considerable experience
working directly with communities, states and the
federal government on regional development issues
and challenges (Deller et al. 2006). His concerns about
the notable absence of the participation of regional
scientists in policy debates, expressed in an article
commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Regional
Science Association, should give regional scientists
pause, as it is a field that claims policy relevance and
applied scholarship among its specialties. This special
issue grew out of initiatives to honor Professor
Shaffer’s work and heed his call for regional scholars
to engage with policy makers.
