Mission and History of CURIS

The mission of CURIS is to provide a clearinghouse of information regarding smart growth, sustainable development and socio-economic resources that will assist planning and policy decisions related to the improvement of quality of life in the Gulf Coastal region of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

In 2005 the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center established the Center for Urban Rural Interface Studies (CURIS).  As noted in our mission statement, CURIS addresses critical issues unique to the rural communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida located along the northern Gulf of Mexico region

Our partnerships with private organizations and other institutes of higher learning have established benchmarks on socio-economic and development priorities.  In addition, our research and extension efforts have spanned over 20,000 square miles and have provided citizens, government officials, developers, planners, and emergency managers with up-to-date information on smart growth, sustainable development and disaster preparedness.

Although our study area comprises the 52 counties along the Northern Gulf, our main focus area consists of the 20 second-tier/rural communities adjacent to urban/coastal counties.  Strengthening our region’s vitality by providing rural communities with research, information and supplemental resources comparable to neighboring urban towns, CURIS enables our constituents to play a more active role in shaping their communities’ future.