University Research Center to present 11th annual Advancing MS Conference
JANS – Researchers from around Mississippi will present their findings on long-term challenges facing the state, including human capital, educational attainment, health, population growth, tax policy, and more at the 11th annual Advancing Mississippi Conference.
The conference is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Presented by the University Research Center, the conference will take place at the Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Museum Boulevard, Jackson, MS). The all-day conference will begin at 9:00 a.m.
The keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Dr. William M. Rodgers III, Vice President of Community Development Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. A widely published researcher and former professor at Rutgers University, Rodgers’s work focused on economic mobility, compensation, labor markets, and economic trends. He is scheduled to speak during a luncheon at 12:00 p.m.
Registration for the conference and luncheon is free but limited to the first 100 registrants. Additional information about the conference and online registration is available at www.mississippi.edu/advancing-mississippi-conference-0.
The University Research Center (URC), which includes the office of the state economist, conducts applied unbiased research on a variety of state and local issues, including revenue estimation, economic impact analysis, socio-economic policy analysis, tax analysis, and economic forecasting for the State of Mississippi. Clients include both public and private entities. URC routinely works closely with both the legislative and executive branches of state government.
