Summer 2026 Chronicles

Survey Research Laboratory

In a world of rapidly changing research needs and technology, the Wolfgang Frese Survey Research Laboratory formally closed its doors after 35 years of service. Throughout its history, the lab has conducted more than 400 telephone-based surveys, impacting communities in Mississippi and across the nation by collecting data on the health, habits, and hobbies of diverse populations, ranging from tobacco use to birdwatching. Data was collected for state agencies, nonprofits, and federal institutions. Although our staff will not be actively collecting telephone survey data in the future, we remain ready to help with survey development, data analysis and visualizations, message development, and evaluation services. Reach out to us at info@ssrc.msstate.edu.

Project Updates

EC ECHO launched a new series for Delta Health Alliance professionals in Lee, Itawamba, Union, and Pontotoc counties and submitted a brief report to Delta Health Alliance about weekly patterns in EC ECHO post-session results following completion of the Spring-Summer 2026 ECHO sessions to Early Head Start teachers/assistant teachers/administrators.

MSREA, a partnership between the SSRC and William Carey University, recognized a rural teacher of the year during a Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools, or PREPS, conference. Read more about this year's awardee at https://bit.ly/4nBzqwN. 

The Systems Change Lab developed the Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide, as part of a W.K. Kellogg Foundation initiative focused on early math education in Mississippi. This interactive guide translates evidence-based research into practical strategies for educators, families, and caregivers. Designed for children from birth through age eight, the guide includes everyday learning activities, embedded tools, and interactive features that make early math concepts accessible and easy to implement. The guide is currently being piloted in Mississippi Pre-K classrooms, where educators are implementing it and providing feedback to inform future development. 

• The guide received a 2026 GDUSA Digital Design Award in the digital publications category. Learn more about the award: https://kathyjacobs.com/award-winning-digital-publication-design-early-childhood-math-guide/.

In June, the Project AWARE team submitted to partners a two-year school climate and safety survey report for students, families, and staff of Laurel, Humphreys County, and Yazoo City school districts. 

The Message Laboratory, directed by Dr. Holli Seitz, recently launched a new website. Visit at commlab.ssrc.msstate.edu.

The Science Literacy for Excellence research collaborative, directed by Dr. Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso, also debuted its online presence. Visit at sl4e.ssrc.msstate.edu.

In the News

Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas has been named to the Mississippi State Board of Health. Learn more at https://msdh.ms.gov/page/23,30980,341.html. 

Dr. Devon Brenner was interviewed by Marzano Research. Read Successful Rural Teaching Starts with Taking Place Seriously.

Dr. Arthur Cosby's work on cancer mortality trends was published in The Conversation. Read at https://bit.ly/4bFafof. 

Rural Schools Collaborative highlighted MSREA's rural teacher of the year. Read at https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/mississippi-rural-education-association-honors-2025-26-rural-teachers-of-the-year.

SSRC Research Fellow Dr. David Swanson was honored with the Mindel C. Sheps Award by the Population Association of America. Read at https://csde.washington.edu/news-events/swanson-honored-with-mindel-c-sheps-award-at-paa/.

Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program

Dr. Blythe McCance and Chuck Dawkins attended the annual STORM (Sobriety Trained Officers Representing Mississippi) conference held in Biloxi May 5-8.

Dr. Blythe McCance, Chuck Dawkins, and Billy Brister attended the Justice Court Clerks conference held in Meridian, Ms. on May 20-22. They also attended the Municipal Court Judges conference held in Biloxi May 27-29. Both of these conferences were sponsored by the Mississippi Judicial College.

Chuck Dawkins, Eric Paymon (Facilitator for the Jackson and Vicksburg MASEP classes), and Billy Brister made a presentation on impaired driving to the Jackson Fire Department's Children's Academy on June 2.

Dr. Blythe McCance, Chuck Dawkins, and Billy Brister attended the Mississippi Chief's of Police summer conference in Biloxi June 17-19.

On July 24-25, the MASEP held its annual meeting in Flowood. This is an annual training where MASEP facilitators gather to receive updates and training on the delivery of the MASEP curriculum. There were 53 facilitators in attendance along with the MASEP staff and Dr. Brenner. Dr. Brenner, along with MASEP Director of Operations Billy Brister, presented Richard Odum, MASEP facilitator in the Ellisville MASEP class, a letter of appreciation from Dr. Keenum for 50 years of service to the MASEP program. 

Presentations & Conference Participation

Foster, D. & Sergi, K. (June 2026). Hidden curriculum of innovation. Oral presentation at the annual Southern Spark Conference on Artificial Intelligence (MS AI), Jackson, MS.

Huell, M., & Valentine, N. (2026, May 14). MSLIFT.org Website and Map [Presentation]. Mississippi Early Childhood Development Coalition (ECDC). Jackson, MS.

Luckett, M., & Hopson, M. (2026, June 14). A classroom approach to teaching early math, featuring the Mississippi Early Childhood Math Guide [Conference presentation]. Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference (MECEC), Tupelo, MS.

Luckett, M. (2026, June 9). Things that grow [Conference presentation]. Madison County School District Annual Preschool Training, Madison, MS. (Professional development event for area childcare providers focused on kindergarten readiness; one of several presenters.)

Pfrenger, W., Lekies, K., Williams, A., Zummo, L., Brenner, D., Slack, T. & Cuthrell, K. (2026, August). Policy, pedagogy, narrative, and play: Rural-serving institutions’ responses to natural disasters. [Panel session]. Rural Sociological Society. Raleigh, NC.

Sergi, K., Gardner, S., & Love, T. (July 2026). Rural educator role responsibility in school mental health: Narratives of hope and connection. Oral presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP), American Psychological Association (APA), Pittsburgh, PA.

Sergi, K., Long, L., & Gaither, M. (2026, May). From broad to tailored: Lessons learned from a Mississippi ECHO program evolution. Virtual presentation to the ECHO in Education Collaborative, University of Wyoming. Recording found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcO4tlV7ItY&list=PLGwvUpFBeHxGQM83QxiAPGS8olmICoMDY&index=1

Sergi, K. & Long, L. (June 2026). When big feelings take over. Real strategies for real classrooms: A practitioner-informed guide to support young children with challenging behaviors. Oral presentation at the annual conference of Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference (MECEC), Tupelo, MS.

Reports & Publications

Ragsdale, K., Tolar-Peterson, T., Byrd, K. A., Mudege, N. M., & Banda, S. C. (In press). Sensory acceptance of four flavors of fish-fortified instant porridges for complementary feeding of infants and young children. Frontiers in Nutrition.

Seitz, H. H. (2026). Constructing health communication campaign messages to address community health needs: A community-engaged learning approach. In E. A. Johnson-Young, A. Y. Goldman, & A. R. Walker (Eds.), Collaborative Team-Based and Experiential Learning: A Path to Student Innovation in Communication (pp. 125-129). Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.