The 2015 Fall JSU Public Policy Student Symposium was held on December 3, 2015. The semi-annual event is prepared as a way for students to increase their independent research skills and to enhance their skills of public communications in a professional setting, and to improve their writing skills. Twelve students (10 doctoral, and 2 master) joined the event. Their diverse research topics cover from public education issue in Mississippi to Children homeliness issue in Jackson, MS.
Dean Brown, and the PPAD faculty members also joined the event and recognized the students' efforts on research, provided their comments and discussed the future direction of the student symposium. Especially Professor Robinson kept his seat throughout the four-hour long event, and provided his comments to the students. The participating students appreciated the faculty members' supports on their research efforts.
The students who presented their researches for the event are as follows:
Dr. Udensi K. Udensi (PhD; 1st left on top row in picture; title: A comparative study of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and policy among Barbados, Belize, Mexico and the United States), Ms. Debra Monroe-Lax (PhD; 2nd left on top row; title: Economic determinant analysis of student performance in Mississippi public schools), Ms. Lolita Bolden (PhD: 3rd left on top row; title: An impact analysis of shared use agreement between school districts and communities in controling children obesity in the State of Mississippi), Ms. Shelia Byrd (MPPA: 4th left on top row; title: An evaluation of city managed job training program in Jackson, Mississippi ("The Jobs for Jacksonian Program") and its impact on Joblessness), Ms. Ashley Caples (MPPA: 1st left on second row; title: Attaining the unattainable: Accessing barriers of the uninsured and underserved population for quality health care in Mississippi), Mr. Larry Barker (PhD; 2nd left on second row; title: Impact of recent federal student aid policy changes on student enrollments at the HBCUs in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi), Mr. Michael Grant (PhD; 3rd left on second row; title: An evaluation study of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in Mississippi), Mr. John Proctor (PhD; 4th left on second row; title: Managing community garden as a community-centered approach to Food Desert: A case study of Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Ms. Sequica James (PhD: 1st left on third row; title: The fattest & leanest States: Obesity in Mississippi and Colorado), Ms. Sheryl Bacon (PhD; 2nd left on third row; title: Assessing trends of federal student loan debt and exploring potential of reducing the debt through the critical needs program in Mississippi), Ms. Felicia Knight (PhD; 3rd left on third row; title: Assessment of parental responsibility laws), and Ms. Florence Black (PhD; 4th left on third row; title: Family homeliness and the impact on children).
The symposium has recognized the top three presentations for PhD, and MPPA categories, respectively:
PhD
1st Place: Ms. Debra Monroe-Lax (03_Monroe-Lax_Research)
2nd Place: Ms. Lolita Bolden (04_Bolden_Shared Use Agreements Final)
3rd Place: Ms. Sheryl Bacon (11_Bacon_student loan)
MPPA
1st Place: Ms. Ashley Caples (06_Caples_Attaining the Unattainable)
2nd Place: Ms. Shelia Byrd (05_Byrd_An Evalution Study of a City-Managed Workforce Development)
3rd Place: vacant
We appreciate your hard works embedded in your outstanding presentations, and Congratulations to the winners!!
