New Projects
Dr. Heather Hanna (PI), Lisa Long (Co-PI), and Nell Valentine (Co-PI) were awarded funding for the project Preschool Development Grant Carry Forward by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
Dr. Heather Hanna (PI) was awarded funding for the project Promoting the Business Child Care Roadmap by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Through MSU's Office of Research and Economic Development, an SSRC team of social scientists and evaluators received a pre-proposal award from the National Academies of Science (NASEM). The title of the project is: PFAS Solutions: GeoHealth Intelligence and Human-Centered Design for Gulf Sustainability. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/mus89d3w.
Wolfgang Frese Survey Research Laboratory
On behalf of the National Audubon Society’s Audubon Delta group, the Survey Research Laboratory is administering a telephone-based survey to measure public awareness of the Mississippi Coastal Bird Stewardship Program. The goal of this program is to help Mississippi’s beachgoers better understand the threats facing nesting coastal birds and the need to safeguard the birds’ natural habitats. The survey will be administered to a representative sample of 400 adults residing in Mississippi’s three coastal counties: Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson.
Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program
Chuck Dawkins attended the Mississippi Sheriffs Association conference in Biloxi, June 4-5.
Dr. Blythe McCance, Chuck Dawkins, and Billy Brister attended the Mississippi Municipal Court Judges conference in Biloxi June 18-20. This conference is sponsored by the Mississippi Judicial College.
Conference Attendance
Dr. Devon Brenner and Bradley Long attended the Rural Schools Collaborative Summit in Minneapolis, MN (July 2025) on behalf of the Mississippi Rural Education Association (MSREA), which received a Community of Learners grant from the Rural Schools Collaborative. (pictured below first)
Dr. Heather Hanna, Dr. Gina Rico Mendez, and Nell Valentine attended the OpenAI Academy (pictured below second)
Emily McClelland, Dr. Robert McMillen, Colleen Stouffer, and Dr. Sujan Anreddy attended the Empowering Communities for a Healthy Mississippi conference in Flowood, MS, from June 4-5, 2025.
Presentations & Conference Participation
Anreddy, S. (2025, July 8). Enhancing DUI education with technology: MASEP’s innovative data management approach. [Panel]. 2025 Traffic Record Forum. Boston, MA. Moderator: Melissa Sarro.
Anreddy, S. (2025, August 12). Crash Data Portal for Occupant Protection-Related Fatalities and Injuries. [Presentation]. Occupant Protection Task Force Meeting. Canton, MS.
Brenner, D. (2025, July). Rural schools matter: The work of the NREA and addressing rural teacher staffing challenges. [Invited session presentation]. Kentucky Association of School Administrators Academic Leadership Institute. Louisville, KY.
Brenner, D., Long, B., Permenter, P. (2025, July). Building Relationships, Building Mississippi in Rural Schools: A Panel Discussion of Lessons Learned with the Mississippi Rural Education Association and Mississippi Rural Teachers of the Year. [Presentation]. MDE Elevate Conference. Cleveland, MS.
Sergi, K., Gardner, S., & Love, T. (2025, August). Tracking risk behaviors in PreK–12: Insights for early intervention and support [Poster presentation]. Division 15 (Educational Psychology), Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. Denver, CO.
Tucker, V., Johnson, T., McMillen, R., Sergi, K., & McClelland, E. (2025, August). Passage of local smokefree policies in Mississippi: Support is key to unlocking the benefits of access to clean air [Poster presentation]. National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH). Chicago, IL.
Publications
Moore, R., Poole, C., & Hanna, H. L. (2025). Literature Review: Investing in Early Childhood Education Pays Dividends, Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 10. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/endeavors/vol1/iss1/10
Poole, C., Tatum, M., Baird-Thomas, C., Hanna, H., Klunk, T., McCown, J., & Bell, L. (2025). Investing in our future: How Mississippi supports young children (2nd ed.). https://scl.ssrc.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Investing-in-Our-Future-2025.-Budget-Book-Digital-Copy.pdf
Sergi, K., McCown, J., Read-Wahidi, M., Yigit, I. H., Poole, C., & Hanna, H. (2025). Compensation challenges in early childhood education: An analysis of Mississippi's child care workforce. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 19(7), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-025-00145-2
Stubbs-Richardson, M., Etheredge, L.E., Hemphill, T., Ahonle, Z.J., & Nadorff, D.K. (2025). State of the states: Blueprints for building age-friendly futures. https://doi.org/10.54718/PTYT9801
