MSU Social Science Research Center

09/01/2026

Our Early Childhood ECHO team, including Dr. Katerina Sergi and Lisa Long, recently published an article in the International Journal of Early Childhood on their experience with the ECHO model.
Read at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-026-00537-6.

08/28/2026

Dr. Danielle Nadorff, Dr. Katerina Sergi, and Dr. Sujan Anreddy are developing Mississippi's first Statewide Comprehensive Behavioral Health Needs Assessment, which they are conducting through MSU in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and funded through the state's opioid settlement resources.

Learn about the first stage at https://www.ssrc.msstate.edu/sites/www.ssrc.msstate.edu/files/2026-08/MS_Overdose_Infographic_Expanded.pdf.

08/24/2026

Last week, SSRC faculty and staff from the Systems Change Lab, along with Director Devon Brenner, attended the 2026 State of Babies in Jackson. They learned about the Mississippi Forum for the Future's work, including the current Mississippi child care system and supports for mothers, children, and strong families.

Learn more about the SCL's work at scl.ssrc.msstate.edu.

08/20/2026

Director Devon Brenner served as a reviewer of early drafts of this guide for rural districts on boosting teacher retention, a collaboration with REL Northwest and Marzano Research.

Read now at

Rural districts across the United States struggle to keep teaching positions filled. Teachers in rural schools are more likely than their urban and suburban counterparts to cite dissatisfaction with working conditions as their primary reason for leaving their positions, and working conditions are fa...

08/19/2026

Join in SL4E's upcoming Community Speaker Series!
These free, virtual events will bring together local experts, practitioners, and researchers to share knowledge, stories, and perspectives on science, language, and environmental issues.

Learn more and register at https://sl4e.ssrc.msstate.edu/community-speaker-series!

08/18/2026

Today, the SSRC hosted State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney to discuss our work and collaborations in public health.

Our researchers shared their expertise and ongoing work, and other visitors joined to share about additional health-related initiatives at MSU.

08/12/2026

Dr. Kathleen Ragsdale is the lead author of a new article in Frontiers in Nutrition. Read now!⬇

BackgroundPorridges fortified with locally available, nutrient rich foods can increase nutrient intakes among infants and young children (IYC), but the addit...

08/11/2026

The Message Lab uses communication science to understand how messages shape what people think, feel, and do and to translate that knowledge into evidence-based messages that improve health and well-being.

Check out the lab's new website at commlab.ssrc.msstate.edu.

08/10/2026

Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas has been appointed to the Mississippi State Board of Health!

At the SSRC, she directs the Evaluation and Research Group, and her primary research interests include program evaluation, early childhood, and public health.

Learn more at https://msdh.ms.gov/page/23,30980,341.html.

08/05/2026

The Science Literacy for Excellence laboratory has a new website! Affiliated faculty member Dr. Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso directs the lab, which consists of an interdisciplinary team of applied linguists, educators, and scientists.

Learn more at https://sl4e.ssrc.msstate.edu/