Domenico Parisi, director of the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center at Mississippi State University, explained the importance of universities to address social issues Wednesday night at the University Center.

Stephanie Bohon, the director of the Center for the Study of Social Justice at UT, said it is important to develop science-driven research to enhance policy, and the university is an obvious source for that.

"What we wanted to do with Dr. Parisi was to bring someone who already has a center that brings scholars together to create objective sources of information," she said.

Universities shouldn't be just educational institutions. They should also provide students with hands-on experiences through research centers. Domenico Parisi When Parisi came to Mississippi, his fundamental idea was to increase the level of engagement of the university for social issues.

He said universities have always played a critical role in terms of creating knowledge, innovations and discoveries.

"University must play a much bigger role in social and economic progress," he said.

Parisi identified five things that lead people into poverty:some kind of disability, an incomplete education, an inability to get a job during tough economic times, a mismatch of skills to job requirements and a lack of desire to work.

Increased risk of incarcerations and obesity are some of the consequences of poverty and the cost the state will pay if it ignores social issues. Parisi pointed out that 40 million people were in poverty in 1960 and today.

Parisi said poverty exists everywhere but it is hard to see because it is invisible.  

"The worst thing that can happen is when people become isolated," he said. "Isolation is something that goes along with poverty, and poverty goes with social justice issues."

He stressed the importance of understanding the issue and the law when it comes to a desire of changing state's policies.

"You can come up with the most innovative, strategic plan and initiatives, but if the law doesn't allow you to do it, it will never happen," he said.

NSPARC is a social science institute on the MSU campus that provides information to policymakers around the nation on how to create solutions on poverty, unemployment, school disengagement and other social problems. The center facilitates the environment that encourages people to choose career paths and get a job.

Parisi takes pride in that NSPARC contributed to the largest economic expansion of the state of Mississippi by creating more than 42,000 jobs between 2004 and 2007.

"Universities shouldn't be just educational institution," he said. "They should also provide students with hands-on experience through research centers. It's all valuable because you can make a big difference to your state."

Parisi was born in Italy and moved to Pennsylvania to get a doctorate in rural sociology. He is currently a professor of sociology at Mississippi State University.