The Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation is carrying out renovations to convert a former bank building in downtown Starkville into a new facility called "The Hub." The project began on July 1 after Cadence Bank relocated to a new branch on Russell Street

MSU Research and Technology Corp. purchased the building from Cadence in 2019 to create a Downtown Innovation Hub. Renovations to the 34,000 facility, located at the intersection of Main and Jackson streets, cost $1.4 million. MSU received $300,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for the project.

The Innovation Hub provides additional space for companies looking to expand their presence in Starkville or startups looking to call the city home, a release from MSU says. Babel Street has been a tenant of the building since 2019, and moved its innovation center into updated spaces on the building's third floor.

For more information about The Hub, call the MSU Research and Technology Corporation at 662-325-9575.

JSU COVID-19 Health Literacy Program

Jackson State University recently partnered with the city of Vicksburg and Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health to secure a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. The funds are part of a two-year initiative to advance health literacy and enhance equitable community responses to COVID-19 while identifying and implementing best practices for improving health literacy in Vicksburg, a release from JSU says.

The project, titled "COVID-19 Health literacy, Accessibility, Management, Prevention, Intervention, Outcomes, and New Skills for equitable communities," will focus on implementing a health literacy intervention program in Vicksburg and engaging with public health messages promoting COVID-19 prevention. The initiative, which began on July 1, is part of the Biden/Harris administration’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness.

Jackson-Hinds employees will receive training to implement health literacy strategies at all points of contact during healthcare experiences, the release says. The project also includes a plan to sustain health literacy strategies and adherence to COVID-19 policies and other future public health recommendations.

To date, 73 local governments have received a total of $250 million in grant funds to improve health literacy and COVID-19 vaccination rates and other mitigation practices among underserved populations. Over the next two years, awardee projects will demonstrate the effectiveness of working with local community-based organizations to develop health literacy plans to increase the availability, acceptability and use of COVID-19 public health information and services by racial and ethnic minority populations.

For more information, visit minorityhealth.hhs.gov or email [email protected].

USM Hosting Mississippi Health Sciences and Wellness Academy Summer Camp

The University of Southern Mississippi will host the Mississippi Health Sciences and Wellness Academy Summer Camp from July 12 to July 16.

During the one-week camp, 10th and 11th graders will learn about molecular biology, epidemiology, biomedical research, entomology, molecular techniques and health-related careers through hands-on activities.

Students will also conduct studies to determine if Wolbachia, a type of bacterium that is found in many insects, is present in insects collected for the camp as part of the Wolbachia Rodeo, a world-wide surveillance program designed to stop the spread of West Nile, dengue, Zika and malaria.

The camp will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day, with most activities inside USM's Walker Science Building. On Friday, July 16, campers will make a trip to the Hattiesburg Zoo.

For more information, email [email protected].