September & October 2024 Chronicles

New Projects

Dr. Sujan Anreddy received funding for the Crash Data Portal project to present analytics on fatalities and injuries related crashes in Mississippi. As part of this project, the team plans to investigate characteristics of emergency department visits of traffic related fatalities in rural areas.

Dr. Devon Brenner will lead the RISING project recently funded by the National Science Foundation. Learn more about this project at https://bit.ly/4fycM3a.

Dr. Holli Seitz, an associate professor in the Department of Communication, and Jasmine Harris-Speight, an Extension Instructor in the Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, have received a grant from the Extension Foundation to fund the development of a vaccine education module for youth in the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer program. Their project, "Integrating Adult Immunization Education into the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer Program in Mississippi," is part of the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE). EXCITE is funded through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Personnel

Te'Onme Henderson, a senior majoring in biochemistry, has joined The Message Laboratory as an undergraduate research assistant. Te'Onme will be working with Dr. Holli Seitz to support a vaccine education initiative funded by the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE).

Team members from the Systems Change Lab (Dr. Heather Hanna, Nell Valentine, Callie Poole, and Bradley Long) participated in the Essential Skills for Managing Projects and Leading Through Strengths Workshop.

The evaluation team for Project AWARE (Dr. Sheena Gardner, Dr. Katerina Sergi, and Tiarra Love) analyzed and prepared ad-hoc reports on student screening data for risk behaviors for the 2023-2024 school years. The reports were shared with Project AWARE partners and Mississippi Achievement School District (MASD) Superintendent and staff. The team is also preparing to launch a School Climate Survey for students, parents, and staff in MASD.

Dr. Megan Richardson serves on the editorial board for Gender & Society. The journal was recently ranked as the top scholarly source for cutting-edge gender research.

Dr. Katerina Sergi is representing SSRC on the Faculty Research Advisory Committee (FRAC). FRAC reports to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at MSU. FRAC's mission is to work with the administration to provide an environment that strengthens the University’s research and creative endeavors and promotes their use for the betterment of society.

Lori Stubbs recently retired after 26 years with the SSRC. Our center wishes Lori all the best in this new chapter!

Presentations & Conference Participation

Anreddy, S., Stouffer, C., & McClelland, E. (2024, October 23). TRAPS: Tobacco reporting and progress system. American Evaluation and Association.  [Conference Presentation]. AEA 2024. Portland, OR.
 
Anreddy, S., & Bandi, A. (2024, October 29). Enhancing access to information and referral services using AI-assisted chatbots for older adults in artificial intelligence and predictive modeling session. [Conference Presentation]. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN.
 
Anreddy, S., & Stouffer, C. (2024, October 29). TRAPS: A health informatics system for monitoring and evaluating public health programs in Roadmap to social determinants of health.  [Conference presentation]. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
 
Burdine, M.; Ragsdale, K.; Tolar-Peterson, T.; Mudege, N.; & Muzungaire, L. (2024, September). Scaling ComFA+Fish: Insights from Research in Zambia. [Invited Speaker]. Itawamba Community College Diversity Club, Fulton, MS.

Burdine, M., Ragsdale, K., Tolar-Peterson, T. Mudege, N.N., Read-Wahidi, M.R., & Muzungaire, L. (2024, October  5). Can a Locally Source Dried Fish Powder Tackle Nutritional Gaps among Vulnerable Infants and Young Children in Zambia?: Nutrient Analysis and Sensory Panel Results for Complementary Food for Africa+Dried Fish Powder (ComFA+Fish). [Oral Presentation]. Mississippi State University: 2024 Graduate Research Symposium. Mississippi State, MS. October 5, 2024.

Gaddis, S., Etheredge, L., Stubbs-Richardson, M., Palocsik, O., May, D., (2024, September). I always feel like somebody’s watching me: Examining police officer perceptions of body cam use in Law Enforcement. [Conference Presentation]. Southern Criminal Justice Association conference in Greenville, SC.

Hanna, H., Poole, C. (2024, October 2). Systems Change. MSU College of Education Meridian Campus Course: Applications of Systems Change in Educational Design and Related Fields.

Hanna, H. (2024, September 11,). Market Rate Survey Follow-up. [Presentation]. Mississippi Department of Health's Division of Early Childhood Care and Development Public Information Session.

Hemphill, T.V., Ahonle, Z., Anreddy, S., Stubbs-Richardson, M., & Pennington, E. (2024, October 21-26). Amplifying and Empowering the Voices of Older Adults and Caregivers through Focus Groups. [Poster Presentation]. American Evaluation Association, Portland, Oregon.

Hicks, C., Robertson, A. A., Tomassini, R., & Vincent, G. (2024, September). Data practices to improve the juvenile justice system: Promising horizons and practical considerations. [Panelist]. 2024 National Research Conference Advancing Justice Through Science. Pittsburgh, PA.

McMillen, R., Johnson, T., McClelland, E., Huell, M., Stouffer, C., Burdine, M., Sergi, K., Anreddy, S. (2024). Reducing the burden of tobacco in Mississippi over the past 25 years. [Conference Presentation]. 2024 Advancing Mississippi Conference. Jackson, MS.

McMillen, R. (2024, September 26). Transforming Data into Reality: How to Navigate MSTOBACCODATA.org for Youth Discussions. Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition 1st Quarterly Training.

McMillen, R., Johnson, T., McClelland, E., Huell, M., Stouffer, C., Burdine, M., Sergi, K., Anreddy, S. (2024, September). Reducing the burden of tobacco in Mississippi over the past 25 years. Annual Advancing Mississippi Conference, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Jackson, MS.

Valentine, N., Bell, L., Hanna, H. (2024) Mississippi Lift Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five. MS Lift Summit, Hattiesburg, MS.

Rico Mendez, Gina. (2024, September). Fish Innovation Lab: Driving Local Solutions for Sustainable Aquatic Foods. Annual Feed the Future Innovation Labs Council Meeting. Washington, D.C.

Richardson-Stubbs, M., & Sergi, K. (2024, October). Workshop on useful AI tools. MSU Libraries’ First Generative AI Day, Starkville, MS.
 
Stouffer, C., & McClelland, E. (2024, September 26).  School Nurse Survey Results & Pre/Post Test Best Practices. [Virtual Presentation]. Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition quarterly meeting.

Publications

Sergi, K., Stouffer, C., McClelland, E., Johnson, T., Huell, M., Anreddy, S., Valentine, N., McMillen, R. (2024). Tobacco control initiatives: Mississippi’s multipronged approach. Journal of the Mississippi Medical Association, 65(9/10). https://jmsma.scholasticahq.com/article/124582-tobacco-control-youth-in…

Valentine, N., Luckett, M., Hanna, H. (2024) Mississippi Lift Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five Strategic Plan Updated October, 2024

Valentine, N., Poole, C., Luckett, M., Long, B., Hanna, H. (2024) 2024 Mississippi State Fair Survey.