Contact: Kenneth Billings
Mississippi State University's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center is sponsoring a program featuring leaders from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Mississippi Manufacturers Association, College Board, and Meridian Community College.
Titled "nSPARC: Aligning Government, Industry and Education for a Better Mississippi," the March 30 event gets under way at 6 p.m. at the Hunter Henry Center.
Led by Domenico "Mimmo" Parisi, a professor of sociology, nSPARC works to develop and support community-based basic and applied research, and promote innovative information management to increase economic competitiveness in Mississippi and beyond.
The program will showcase the organization's accomplishments in workforce and economic development innovation, while highlighting the importance of statewide partners and the use of cutting-edge research results in practical solutions to everyday problems.
Scheduled presenters include (alphabetically):
--Scott Elliott, MCC president, who speaks about providing students and workforce training clients with lifelong learning opportunities and preparing individuals with skills and credentials that have real value in the marketplace.
--Tommye Dale Favre, MDES executive director, who discusses access to research-centered business information for state planning and policy decisions.
--Jay Moon, MMA president and chief executive officer, addresses aligning industry and education expectations and the indispensability of university research in today's global economy.
--Phil Pepper, state economist and assistant commissioner for planning and research for the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. He will examine the need for partnerships across the educational spectrum to quickly respond to changing community and business needs and to fully realize the economic benefits of a highly educated populace.
While not a public event, interested members of the news media are welcome to attend. Reporters planning coverage are requested to contact Parisi, as soon as possible, at 662-325-9242 or mimmo.parisi@nsparc.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.