11th Annual Advancing Mississippi Conference

University Research Center (URC), a division of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) is hosting its 11th annual Advancing Mississippi Conference on Friday, September 25, 2026, in Jackson. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to making Mississippi’s future brighter for all citizens. Conference papers should address long-term challenges facing the state. For example, Mississippi faces systemic challenges such as low human capital, low educational attainment, and relatively poor health. Other potential topics include trends in population growth, crime, tax policy and additional issues that may enhance or inhibit economic growth. The goal of the conference is to uncover productive ways to overcome challenges and foster growth in Mississippi, while creating better economic conditions for all Mississippians.

Conference participation is free and open to researchers at all levels including graduate and undergraduate students, faculty members and researchers not affiliated with a university. 

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 will be sharing his research on Mississippi's young adults with a focus on those who are not working or enrolled in an educational program. 

Register Here