Parisi takes on new °®°®Ö±²„ European development role; Grice named interim NSPARC director
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.āMimmoĀ Parisi, founder of Mississippi Stateās National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC), is taking on a newĀ position as °®°®Ö±²„ās senior advisor for European development.ĢżNSPARC Deputy Executive Director Steven Grice is now serving as the centerās interim executive director.Ģż
In this part-time role,Ā ParisiĀ will work to advance °®°®Ö±²„ās visibility and reputation in Europe, positioning the university to secure newĀ international research and development partnerships.ĢżParisiĀ will continueĀ in his positionĀ as president of Italyās National Agency for ActiveĀ LabourĀ Policies, or ANPAL, the Italian agency charged with improving unemployment.ĢżParisi has spent the last year as ANPALās president while taking a leave of absence from °®°®Ö±²„. In his new position at °®°®Ö±²„, he willĀ jointly report toĀ theĀ Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and the Office of Research and Economic Development.Ģż
GriceĀ takes the reins as NSPARCās leader afterĀ spendingĀ fiveĀ yearsĀ as deputy executive director, during which heĀ was responsible for the planning, policy development and analysis, and business development functions within the center. He also coordinated the centerās administrative, information technology, security, communication, finance and policy functions.Ģż
āDr.ĢżParisiāsĀ work atĀ °®°®Ö±²„Ā and in Italy has made him a recognized international leader in using data science to positively impact real-world problems,ā said °®°®Ö±²„ Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan, who also serves as executive director of °®°®Ö±²„ās International Institute. āHis relationships abroadĀ willĀ help °®°®Ö±²„ take advantage ofĀ emergingĀ research and development opportunities in Europe, leading to more international engagement for our faculty and students.Ģż
āDr. Grice has played an instrumental role in NSPARCās growth and success.ĢżIĀ appreciate him taking on this leadership positionĀ as the center continues its impactful work,ā Jordan said.Ģż
SinceĀ itsĀ founding in 1998,Ā NSPARCĀ has ledĀ data science initiatives aimed at improving government, education, workforce and economic outcomes.ĢżThe centerĀ hasĀ grownĀ to more thanĀ 70 researchers and staffĀ andĀ earned aĀ proven track record of quality work with more than 200 national, state and local entities.Ģż
With a background in demography and applied statistics,Ā ParisiĀ has published more than 250 articles, book chapters, policy briefs and reports that address complex issues of equality across various social groups. Among many professionalĀ accolades, he is a pastĀ recipient of °®°®Ö±²„ās Ralph E.ĢżPoweĀ Research Excellence Award, the universityās highest research honor,Ā and in 2018 he was honored by former Gov. Phil Bryant and the State Personnel Board with the Excellence in Local and District Government Award.Ģż
A 21-year employee at °®°®Ö±²„, Grice received his doctorate in sociology from the university in 2005.ĢżHe has expertise in applying data science toĀ education,Ā economics,Ā workforce development and other areas to improve governmental and business efficiency.ĢżAt NSPARC, he supervises the work of research faculty, postdoctoral researchersĀ and support staff, in addition to managing activities and communication with externalĀ partnersĀ andĀ stakeholders.Ģż
NSPARC is nationally recognized for creating technology and solutions powered by data science. The center uses expertise in data analytics, predictive analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, system of systems, data governance, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing to develop solutions that further human progress. For more information, visitĀ .Ģż
As a National Science Foundation Top 100 and Carnegie Foundation R1 āVery High Research Activityā university,Ā °®°®Ö±²„ leads impactful global research efforts reaching all seven continents. The universityās prominent research activities enable fruitful international partnerships that bring people together from around the world to develop solutions to universal problems. For more on °®°®Ö±²„ās global initiatives, visitĀ .ĢżĀ
°®°®Ö±²„ is MississippiāsĀ leadingĀ university, available onlineĀ atĀ .