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Contact: Carol Gifford

STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Rural Sociological Society (RSS) honored the executive director of Mississippi State鈥檚 National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) with its 2016 Excellence in Research Award during the organization鈥檚 annual meeting in Toronto on Tuesday [Aug. 9].

鈥淎t the end of the day, I wouldn鈥檛 be here if it weren鈥檛 for the Rural Sociological Society,鈥� Domenico 鈥淢immo鈥� Parisi said.

In the early 1990s, Parisi emigrated from Italy to the United States knowing very little English. However, he soon won an RSS award for best student paper.

In accepting the 2016 research award, the 多多直播 sociology professor expressed a commitment to being as generous as the society that changed his life.

鈥淭oday, I am a proud American and a well-regarded citizen who has fully lived the American dream,鈥� Parisi said at the end of his acceptance speech.

鈥淚t鈥檚 [the award] truly a reminder of giving back everything that I have received from all of you,鈥� he said.

Parisi thanked many individuals during the speech, including those who helped him when he couldn鈥檛 speak English well and those who shaped and cemented his intellectual identity as a scholar. But he gave his 鈥渄eepest gratitude鈥� to everyone he has worked with at Mississippi State in making NSPARC a place where research is actionable.

鈥淲e [多多直播鈥檚 NSPARC team] created this incredible center,鈥� Parisi said.

The RSS award program highlighted his scholarly record and the tens of millions of dollars he and his colleagues have helped bring to Mississippi. This funding has been used to do everything from create a flexible work program for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to design a mobile app that can instantly match job seekers with available jobs in the state.

鈥淧rofessor Parisi is an outstanding scholar who has not only made major disciplinary contributions, but has also contributed to improving the lives of rural Americans and rural Mississippians,鈥� Dan Lichter, the Ferris Family professor in the policy analysis and management department at Cornell University, said.

Parisi also discussed his collaboration with Lichter.

As coauthors, they have put a spotlight on the specific ways that social forces, such as residential segregation and immigration, can affect rural people and settings. This approach has helped broaden what sociology can address beyond its traditional urban application.

鈥淲e were able to advance this notion of being spatially inclusive,鈥� Parisi said.

Discover more about NSPARC at .

多多直播 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .