August & September 2026

Awards & Recognition

Dr. Sujan Anreddy was recently promoted to associate research professor. His research combines human-centered computing, data science, and visual analytics to address community health and safety challenges.

Dr. Gina Rico Mendez was recently promoted to associate research professor.
Her applied research and evaluation work uses systems thinking to inform policy and practice across early childhood, food systems, and natural resource management. She leads the Systems Change Lab at the SSRC.

Personnel News

Dr. Holly P. Trisch joined the SSRC as a postdoctoral associate.  Her research focuses on engineering education, STEM learning, and the experiences that shape students’ pathways into STEM. She explores how educators can make student thinking visible, strengthen STEM self-efficacy, and create meaningful connections between engineering and elementary education.

Dr. Katerina Sergi has been appointed as an alternate member of MSU's Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research. This is a three-year appointment.

In the News

The Systems Change Lab, along with partner organizations, recently released "Investing in Our Future: How Mississippi Supports Young Children." Read about the report at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2026/09/msu-mississippi-first-report-details-states-investment-young-children.

Dr. Holly P. Trisch was featured on MSU's Our People profile. Read at https://www.msstate.edu/our-people/2026/09/holly-trisch.

Lab & Project Updates

The Systems Change Lab attended the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance's annual State of Babies symposium and Big Voices for Little Children event, celebrating Mississippi employers who support families and strengthen the workforce.

The Project AWARE team analyzed and submitted supplemental school climate and safety data for middle and high school students, staff, and parents in Yazoo City District. Funded by SAMHSA/UMMC, Project AWARE is a multi-year effort to increase mental health awareness, implement mental health trainings, and improve referral processes in three MS school districts.

Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program

Dr. Blythe McCance and Billy Brister presented at the Mississippi Justice Court Clerks' fall conference in Natchez, MS, on September 10.

Dr. Blythe McCance and Billy Brister attended the Mississippi Municipal Court Clerks' conference in Biloxi on September 16-18.

Presentations & Conference Participation

Seitz, H. H. (2025, September 30). From message to behavior: Communicating science with credibility for greater health impact. [Invited talk]. University of Alabama School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL.

Jungers, B. & Sergi, K. (September 2026). Forever Chemicals in the Gulf: Connecting Environmental Science and Community Impacts. [Virtual presentation]. Science Literacy for Excellence (SL4E) lab, SSRC, Starkville, MS. 

Rico Mendez, G., Klunk, T., & Tatum, M. (2026, September 29). Investing in our future: How Mississippi supports young children [Webinar]. Systems Change Lab, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx8eMpAz0H0

Reports & Publications

Adair, R., Cole, A. B., & Seitz, H. H. (2026). Using Diffusion of Innovations theory to predict engagement with healthy recipe posts in social media. Journal of Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2026.2722678

Javorsky, K., Brenner, R., Long, L., Gaither, I.M., Long, B., & Sergi, K. (2026). Interdisciplinary learning communities as a targeted support strategy for early childhood teachers facing significant behavior challenges in the classroom. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2026.2727847 (online print).

Nadorff, D., Sergi, K., & Anreddy, S. (September 2026). Opioid Statewide comprehensive behavioral health needs assessment. Mississippi’s overdose crisis: What the data show. Prepared for MS Department of Mental Health (MDMH). https://www.dmh.ms.gov/mississippis-overdose-crisis-what-the-data-show/

Robertson, A. A., Sergi, K., Brock, M., Shawl, D., & Melcherts, A. (2026). An Evaluation of Mississippi’s impaired driving intervention program for first time offenders. Justice Evaluation Journal, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2026.2723842

Sergi, K., Long, L., Brenner, R., Gaither, I.M., Long, B., McClelland, E., Parker, J.C., Elliott, L.B., Grace, C., & Brenner, D. (2026). From pilot to practice: Evolving Mississippi’s early childhood ECHO program through strategic partnership and community-based learning. International Journal of Early Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-026-00537-6. (Online print).