May & June 2024 Chronicles

In the News

Our Rural Education: Research and Initiatives Lab is partnering with William Carey University and joining the Rural Schools Collaborative. Read more from the Clarion Ledger or MSU's newsroom.  

The newest cohort of the Mississippi Education Policy Fellowship Program graduated in May. Read about the cohort at  https://bit.ly/3zH5ZEu.

Dr. Gina Rico Mendez spoke at the 24th United Nations Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea on June 18. Read about Dr. Rico Mendez's presentation at https://bit.ly/3Wrdt7D.

Dr. Ben Porter published a new blog for the Data Science for the Social Sciences Lab. Read at https://bit.ly/3Lpq84n. 

Dr. Megan Stubbs-Richardson, Dr. Devon Brenner, Lauren Etheredge, and MacKenzie Paul wrote an article for The Conversation about a database of AI tools for social scientists. Read at https://bit.ly/3Lvm0Qk.

New Projects

Dr. Robert McMillen will again lead the "Surveillance and Evaluation Services for the Mississippi Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program." The project will develop and implement a surveillance and evaluation system for programs and services administered by the Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Tobacco Control. 

The Evaluation and Research Group will offer evaluation support services for the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of the Maternal and Infant Health Bureau, Mississippi State Department of Health. 

Awards & Recognition

Madeline Burdine earned a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Mississippi and was honored with the Larry W. DeBord Award. This award, established in 1996 by friends and colleagues of the late Dr. DeBord, a former University of Mississippi professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, recognizes the top graduating student in the sociology M.A. program.

Amanda Tullos has been selected for the Mississippi Economic Council’s Leadership Mississippi Class of 2024. Read about the program at msmec.com/leadership-mississippi/current-class/.

Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program

Dr. Blythe McCance and Chuck Dawkins attended the Justice Court Clerks Conference held by the Mississippi Judicial College from May 15 to May 17. They also attended the Mississippi Municipal Court Judges Conference held by the Mississippi Judicial College in Biloxi from May 29 to May 31, and the Mississippi Sheriffs Conference also held in Biloxi.

Billy Brister, Dr. McCance, and Chuck Dawkins attended the Mississippi Police Chiefs Conference in Biloxi from June 19 to 21.

Publications

Crudden, A., Steverson, A., & Sergi, K. (2024). Why I'm not working: People with visual impairments explain. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-240018

Francom, G. M., Luckett, M.L., & Spearman, S. M. (2024). Perceptions of teaching and social presence between face-to-face, web conferencing, and Mozilla Hubs learning modes. TechTrends. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00969-8

Franz, D. P., Hubbard, K., & Brenner, D. (2024). Collaborative Leadership for Research Investigating STEM Teacher Preparation Across Many Institutions. Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations, 19*(1), Article 6. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jmsce_vamsc/vol19/iss1/6

Mississippi State University Social Science Research Center Systems Change Lab. (June 2024). 2024 Mississippi Child Care Market Rate Survey. https://scl.ssrc.msstate.edu/2024-mississippi-child-care-market-rate-su…

Presentations & Conference Participation

The Project ECHO team, consisting of Lisa Long, Michelle Gaither, and Ruby Brenner, gave presentations at the Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference (MECEC) in Natchez, MS in June 2024. They presented two sessions titled: "Moving Knowledge, Not People: A Virtual Network for MS Families and Early Childhood Professionals" and "Empowering Early Childhood Professionals and Families through Case-Based Learning in the ECHO Telementoring Model."

Cole, A. B., Seitz, H. H., & Byrd, S. H. (2024, May 17-18). Campaign awareness and effect of a social marketing campaign on fruit and vegetable consumption in SNAP-eligible adults [Oral presentation]. North American Social Marketing Conference, Clearwater, FL, United States. 

Luckett, M., (May 2024) Mississippi Lift Early Childhood Convening [Presentation]. Greenwood, MS.

McMillen, R. Mississippi Delta Scholars Program at Harvard, Healthy Population Panelist. 19 June 2024. Mississippi State University.

McMillen, R. Attended Board Meeting, Mississippi Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (MACH) Advisory Board. Biloxi, MS. 14 June 2024.

Stouffer C., & Anreddy, S.  (2024. June 18). The Office of Tobacco Control Coalition quarterly meeting of stakeholders, fiscal agents, and directors. A three-hour presentation was conducted on the FY25 coalition scope of work deliverables, and TRAPS (Tobacco Reporting and Progress System) reporting. Mississippi Hall of Fame Museum. Jackson, MS.

Valentine, N., (May 2024) Mississippi Lift Early Childhood Convening [Presentation]. Tupelo, MS.

Valentine, N., (June 2024) Mississippi Lift Early Childhood Convening [Virtual Presentation].