The Mississippi Emerging Research Institution Council (MERIC) held its first official meeting during the MEIC 25 Conference at the University of Mississippi in July 2025, where representatives from the state’s Emerging Research Institutions elected the council’s inaugural officers.
Dr. Brandon Magers, Professor and Chair of Chemistry & Physics at Belhaven University, was elected as Chair, and Dr. Christopher Jurgenson, Professor of Biochemistry at Delta State University, as Chair-Elect, marking the beginning of MERIC’s leadership and governance.
In addition to setting leadership, the council outlined several key initiatives for its first year:
Establishing an official MERIC website
Seeking grant funding to support and expand the organization
Exploring the possibility of hosting a statewide research conference with support from the Mississippi Research Alliance (MRA)
Actively sharing networking and grant opportunities with member institutions
These steps reflect MERIC’s mission to build collaboration, expand research capacity, and strengthen opportunities across Mississippi’s Emerging Research Institutions.
