Current projects

Mississippi Youth Resilience Center (MY-REC) ongoing evaluation and related research

MY-REC provides evidence-based and evidence-informed trauma-focused intervention for youth and families, with attention to rural youth and youth with developmental differences and disabilities. MY-REC will also work with careholders to develop and study trainings for lay community leaders and paraprofessionals. Community engagement activities, including annual listening sessions with targeted careholder groups (e.g., primary care providers, school staff, parks and recreation staff/volunteers, faith-based groups), an advisory board, and a health leader learning community are essential to MY-REC.

Evaluation and related research under MY-REC include designing, collecting, and analyzing qualitative (e.g., listening session data, exit interviews with youth and families in treatment), quantitative (e.g., utilizing treatment data from youth and families engaged in trauma therapy), and mixed-methods data (e.g., lay provider training evaluation).

Undergraduates across Mississippi State departments may also be interested applying to take the MY-REC affiliated upcoming service-learning course, which includes delivering Project Support to trauma-affected caregivers in Mississippi. More information will be available later this year for the 2027-2028 course.

Rural Rape Crisis Center Support Study

We are learning with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center to better understand the experiences and needs of rural rape crisis centers. Rape crisis centers are local nonprofits that aim to respond to and prevent sexual violence (including sexual harassment and assault, inside and outside of relationships and across the lifespan).

Our project will include an advisory board of rural prevention and victim service leaders in rural areas throughout the United States, surveys with rural volunteers and employees, and interviews or focus groups with rural providers.

This project is a great fit for students interested in violence prevention, community services, rural health, and/or community-engaged research. Students will gain knowledge and skills in both clinical and community psychology research. Opportunities for disseminating findings via both scholarly (e.g., conferences, posters, presentations) and action-oriented (e.g., via toolkits, practice partner presentations, newsletters) channels will likely be available for students who are able to work on this project for one or more years.

Undergraduates who would like to work on the Rural Rape Crisis Center Support Study, please check out our recruitment posting here: https://www.urcd.msstate.edu/search-msu-opportunities

Sexual Violence Prevention in Alcohol-Serving Establishments

While at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Rieger worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Illinois Liquor Control Commission, and Drs. Rachel Garthe and Nicole Allen to survey over 600 alcohol-serving establishment leaders about their policies, practices, and attitudes towards community-level or setting-based sexual violence prevention. This project was part of Illinois Rape Prevention and Education funding. Data analysis is underway. Opportunities for analysis and writing support may be available for graduate students.

Rural Identity and Emerging, Young Adult Wellbeing

We are developing a study to better understand rural identity measurement in emerging and young adults, and investigate the ways in which these measures help us screen for and understand a variety of mental health concerns and strengths, including help-seeking barriers and facilitators. This study is being designed now; interested undergraduates and graduate students can email Dr. Rieger any time this fall semester to be part of this design; data collection is anticipated spring 2027.

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