Mississippi Urban Research Center
Basic and applied research into urban problems and public policy — helping Mississippi's urban areas improve, grow, and prosper through evidence-based research and multidisciplinary methods.
Welcome to the Mississippi Urban Research Center
The Mississippi Urban Research Center's (MURC) mission is “to conduct basic and applied research into urban problems and public policy, and to make available the results of this research to private groups, public bodies, and public officials.”
MURC's vision is to become the premier research center in Mississippi for conducting urban-related research. This vision involves examining urban areas throughout Mississippi with the goal of providing various types of solutions that can help address problems impacting urban areas.
- Center
- Mississippi Urban Research Center (MURC)
- Director
- Sam Mozee, Jr., Ph.D.
- Parent
- Jackson State University · Research
- Location
- 101 W. Capitol Street, 5th Floor, Jackson, MS 39201
- Phone
- (601) 979-1386 / (601) 979-1400
- murc@jsums.org
- Units
- 3 (Research, Evaluation, Census)
A message from the Director
We invite you to join us in working to improve the quality of life in urban areas across Mississippi.
Many urban areas across Mississippi are experiencing similar problems whether related to infrastructure, housing, crime, education, employment, governance, health, growth, contraction, and/or other issues impacting their quality of life. The Mississippi Urban Research Center stands ready to work independently and collaboratively in helping communities identify and implement solutions leading to a higher quality of life.
Using multidisciplinary approaches and diverse research methods, MURC provides a structure and setting for conducting research, analyzing public policies, managing research data, evaluating programs, and engaging urban communities.
While the challenges facing urban areas can be formidable, MURC is fully committed to helping urban areas overcome those challenges and achieve a higher quality of life. MURC's research approach and guiding operational principle is straight forward — that is, using evidence-based research to help Mississippi's urban areas improve, grow, and prosper.
Sam Mozee, Jr., Ph.D.
Director, Mississippi Urban Research Center · Jackson State University
Nine focus areas across Mississippi's urban landscape
MURC examines a wide range of urban issues affecting Mississippi communities — and/or other issues impacting quality of life:
Infrastructure
Housing
Crime
Education
Employment
Governance
Health
Growth
Contraction
Five core research capabilities
MURC provides a structure and setting for the following research and engagement activities:
Conducting research — basic and applied research into urban problems and public policy.
Analyzing public policies — rigorous policy analysis to inform decision-makers.
Managing research data — structured data management for urban research projects.
Evaluating programs — program evaluation services for public and community initiatives.
Engaging urban communities — community-engaged research methods to ensure stakeholder voice.
MURC's organizational structure
Research
Conducting basic and applied research into urban problems and public policy across Mississippi.
Evaluation
Program evaluation services for public, nonprofit, and community initiatives.
Census Information Center
Census data analysis and information services supporting urban research and policy decisions.
Explore MURC's research output
Partner with MURC
Join us in working to improve the quality of life in urban areas across Mississippi through evidence-based research and community-engaged scholarship.
Contact the Mississippi Urban Research Center
Jackson State University
101 W. Capitol Street / 5th Floor
Jackson, MS 39201