MSU secures NSF grant to support resilient, affordable housing — spotlight on our own Dr. Thompson-Bello
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A cross-disciplinary team at Mississippi State University has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance resilient, affordable housing development in rural communities across Mississippi.
The three-year project brings together expertise from engineering, architecture, sociology, and community research to build a decision-support platform that integrates geosensing, artificial intelligence, and participatory research. The platform is designed to assess housing risks (structural and social), simulate hazard impacts, and help communities make data-driven decisions to improve housing stability and safety — especially in vulnerable regions such as the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast.
We are proud to note that Diego Thompson-Bello — Social Work/Sociology faculty — is one of the co-Principal Investigators on this project, contributing his insight on social vulnerability, community resilience, and long-term quality of life in rural Mississippi. His involvement underscores our department’s commitment to research that bridges social outcomes and community wellbeing.
This initiative not only promises to foster safer, more affordable housing, but also to strengthen the social fabric of rural communities by aligning engineering innovation with human-centered research. Kudos to all the faculty involved for this important and impactful work!