The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve career development for rural college students in Western New York State. An initial research cycle utilized semi-structured interviews to identify rural college students' perceptions about their career development and the career-related institutional supports and experiences they had received. This cycle revealed that better institutional awareness and understanding of rural identity could potentially strengthen career education for these students. The action steps that followed included the design, implementation, and evaluation of a three-part interactive workshop series focused on supporting rural student career development. Participants included faculty and staff practitioners in career and experiential learning roles representing 10 local higher education institutions across Western New York. Findings included a desire to build even greater awareness of rural identities, a desire to spread that awareness across home institutions, better targeted resource development for rural students, and greater identity-informed interactions with rural students. Implications for higher education institutions included an assortment of practical and achievable interventions to support rural college student career development. Additionally, the practitioner's institution type (size, location, and scope) revealed unique challenges for rural populations and led to varied interventions. Further research is needed to investigate approaches and actions that are specific to the needs of both rural students and the places where they attend college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]