MSU Social Science Research Center

05/28/2026

Dr. Heather Hanna focuses on strengthening early childhood systems by identifying gaps and turning research into meaningful action. As Director of the Systems Change Lab, she leads work that brings together partners to study complex challenges and co-create solutions that support children and families.
She is especially proud of collaborative efforts that center the voices of families and providers and offer technical assistance to co-create shared solutions.
Learn more about SCL at https://scl.ssrc.msstate.edu/.

05/21/2026

Lisa Long, Ruby Brenner, and Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas (all pictured L-R) hosted a Vroom table at the “Sowing Seeds of Success: Cultivating a Bright Future for Mississippi’s Children” Summit held by The Children’s Foundation of Mississippi at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl. The two-day conference included breakout sessions themed around the KIDS COUNT indicators of education, economic well-being, and family and community life.

04/23/2026

Congrats to our Dr. Heather Hanna, the recipient of the MAFES Grantsmanship Award! Dr. Hanna directs the Systems Change Lab at the SSRC.
https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2026/04/msu-cals-mafes-honor-faculty-staff-and-students-excellence

04/15/2026

Director Devon Brenner connected with other rural education scholars from Mississippi during last week's American Educational Research Association meeting in Los Angeles, CA.

Pictured are Jenay Willis and Wendy Pfrenger (University of Mississippi); Amber Dieg (University of Southern Mississippi); and Devon Brenner.

04/14/2026

Last week, two of our undergraduate research assistants took part in the Undergraduate Research Symposium. We appreciate the contributions of Aditya Singh and Morgan Neal to the center's work!

Aditya works with Dr. Megan Stubbs-Richardson and the DS3 lab, and Morgan assists Dr. Lourdes Cardozo Gaibisso in the SL4E Collaboratory.

04/08/2026

Learn a little about Dr. Breanna Jungers, an affiliated faculty member at the center!

04/08/2026

“Place can make a huge difference in health outcomes, and this was certainly true for county cancer mortality."- Dr. Art Cosby.

Read some of Dr. Cosby and team's findings in the new article "Who is Benefiting from the Dramatic Decline in U.S. Cancer Mortality?: Place-Based Evidence of Disparities in Rates of Improvement."

SSRC researchers at MSU study shifts in cancer mortality Contact: Emile Pennington STARKVILLE, Miss.—In 1991, the U.S. experienced a significant shift in cancer death rates, as for the first time, deaths began a steady decline that continues to the present day. Researchers at Mississippi State's S...

04/01/2026

Our Megan Stubbs-Richardson serves on the advisory board for this project. Join them or visit www.graiser.org to learn more!

Join us on April 16 at 12:00 pm ET for the first session of our two-part series, Guidelines for Responsible Use of AI in STEM Education Research.

In this part, we’ll examine broad concerns and practical ways to mitigate them when deciding whether, when, and how to incorporate AI into your research, and we’ll cover specific considerations for research design and framing.

03/27/2026

Check out the "Ready, Set, Vroom: Brain Building for New Parents" page, and you'll see a familiar SSRC name. Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas is one of the science advisors!

Learn how you’re already building your bond and parenting skills. Our collection of tips for new and expecting parents will help prepare you for everyday moments with your baby—starting now.

03/16/2026

Congrats to Alexis Ellison, an undergraduate assistant with our Vroom project!

Ellison, Romano named MSU’s latest Critical Language Scholars Contact: Carl Smith STARKVILLE, Miss.—Two Mississippi State undergraduates are receiving prestigious U.S. Department of State scholarships allowing them to study foreign languages abroad this summer. Alexis Ellison (Photo by Grace Coc...