‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why
This article was written by Selena Ortiz, associate professor of health policy and administration and demography, SSRI Affiliate, and PRI Associate for The Conversation.
Pittsburgh is widely regarded as a relatively affordable place to live. Overall, housing and living costs remain below national…
Penn State CTSI director inducted as an inaugural fellow of national association
The director of the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), part of the Penn State College of Medicine, has earned national recognition. Jennifer Kraschnewski was named a 2026 fellow of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS), a non-profit membership…
New EIC Podcast episodes on building STEM pathways
The Social Science Research Institute's Evidence-to-Impact Podcast shares an insightful, two-part episode titled “Building STEM Pathways: Connecting Youth, Education, and Industry”. In this episode, host Michael Donovan, associate director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, sits…
SSRI celebrates faculty accomplishments, staff awards
Faculty and staff from all of SSRI's units recently gathered at the Nittany Lion Inn to celebrate major accomplishments of the year and to announce staff awards.
Courtney Carmichael, research project support specialist, Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, was awarded the “…
Harshly parented children show poorer development of stress regulation
As toddlers age into the preschool years, their dependency on their parents usually begins to ebb. However, a new study led by Penn State researchers has revealed that physically or psychologically aggressive parenting, such as spanking or shouting, can disrupt this pattern to the detriment of both…
Consortium on Moral Decision-Making announces funding recipients
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making at Penn State recently awarded Ember Grants to fund 16 projects supporting interdisciplinary research related to the conceptual and empirical study of human morality and ethical decision-making.
According to consortium director Daryl…
Lovejoy joins SSRI
SSRI is pleased to announce the addition of Kaitlin Lovejoy to the administrative staff.
In her new role, Kaitlin will plan SSRI events, including open houses, workshops, and faculty talks. She will also manage funding opportunities, including seed grants, fellowships, and endowments, and…
Child abuse may be connected to changes in development, body regulation
Children who experienced abuse or neglect displayed disrupted development and decreased ability to maintain stable function of internal bodily systems, according to a new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Biobehavioral Health.
The study, published today (May 7) in Molecular…
Provost Sotiropoulus tours SSRI
Penn State’s Executive Vice President and Provost, Dr. Fotis Sotiropoulus, recently visited the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) as part of his initial tour of Penn State research institutes.
Dr. Sotiropoulus heard from Director Dr. Deborah Ehrenthal, who gave an overview of SSRI’s mission…
Why Social Science? - Because Constituents Have the Power to Hold Elected Officials Accountable: Reflections from COSSA’s 2026 Social Science Advocacy Day
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from three participants from this year's Social Science Advocacy Day who reflected upon their advocacy experiences and the importance of advocating for the social sciences.
By Katherine M. Robiadek, Xavier University; Jessica Rich, Virginia Tech…
33 faculty members earn Opportunity Grant Awards
Thirty-three non-tenure-line faculty will use Opportunity Grants to fund a project of their choosing during the 2026-27 academic year.
Opportunity Grants are designed for clinical, teaching, research and professors of practice faculty to receive funding for professional development through a self-…
Cameron talks about empathy between humans and AI
For the second time, people in Philadelphia have beaten up a robot. Last month, an Uber Eats delivery robot was kicked over and vandalized. About a decade ago, Hitch Bot was also beaten up in the City of Brotherly Love.
Daryl Cameron, associate professor of psychology at Penn State and director of…
NIH Announcement of Upcoming System Enforcement of Common Forms
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced: NOT-OD-26-079: Announcement of Upcoming System Enforcement of Common Forms and End of NIHs Leniency Period that goes into effect on May 7, 2026.
Changes For NIH Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending (Other) Support:
Applicable to 1.)…
Deadline approaches for Presidential Public Impact Research Awards Proposals
Penn State is launching the next phase of its Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), which supports faculty–student research teams from the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses working alongside local partners to address pressing challenges across Pennsylvania.
Interested faculty can find…
Registration open for Open Scholarship Boot Camp on May 11-12
Penn State University Libraries’ Research Data Stewardship Department is accepting registrations for the spring 2026 Open Scholarship Boot Camp. The two-day event offers a hands-on introduction to open science practices that can enhance research transparency, rigor and impact.
The boot camp will be…
David Baker receives Mercator Fellowship from German Research Foundation
Penn State Professor of Sociology, of Education and of Demography David P. Baker has been appointed a Mercator Fellow by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), also known as the German Research Foundation.
Beginning this month, Baker will spend the next four years making regular trips to Germany’s…
Cocoziello Built Environment Showcase to highlight impact of recent research
Registration is now open to attend the first annual Penn State Cocoziello Institute Built Environment Showcase, happening Monday, April 27, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn.
The event will bring together a diverse mix of students, researchers and industry professionals, indicative of the…
Intimate partner homicide has clear warning signs – and is often preventable, research shows
By Kathryn Spearman, assistant professor of nursing and SSRI cofund, for The Conversation
Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was an accomplished dentist and a loving mom to two teenage children. On April 16, 2026, she was killed by her estranged husband, former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who then…
Communication, Science & Society Initiative awards four interdisciplinary grants
The Communication, Science & Society Initiative (CSSI), a research partnership between Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences in the College of the Liberal Arts, has announced the grant recipients from its 2025 request for…
Photovoice exhibition to show immigrant experiences in access to health care
A photovoice exhibition showcasing the health care experiences of immigrants with limited English proficiency in the United States will be held from noon to 3 p.m. April 15 in the Morrison Gallery of the Madlyn L. Hanes Library at Penn State Harrisburg.
The exhibition, hosted by Sara Imanpour,…
Van Hook to lead data resources unit
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) recently announced that Jennifer Van Hook, distinguished professor of sociology and demography, will become the new director of its Data Resources Hub (DRH), effective July 1.
Van Hook, who is also an SSRI cofunded faculty member and…
Faculty panel to discuss migration, asylum and refugee experience on April 16
The Penn State College of Arts and Architecture’s Woskob Family Gallery, located at 146 S. Allen Street in downtown State College, will host a cross-disciplinary faculty panel to discuss the current migration landscape, asylum and refugee law and on-the-ground advocacy efforts on April 16 at 4 p.m…
Thiede named new PRI director
Brian Thiede, associate professor of rural sociology, sociology, and demography, has been named the director of the Population Research Institute (PRI) at Penn State.
PRI is a multidisciplinary research center at Penn State that promotes innovative population research. Part of the Social Science…
Why eight hours of sleep may not be enough anymore
By Emaan Adeel for National Geographic
Using a tablet at night may feel like rest, but exposure to light and ongoing stimulation can keep the brain in astate of alertness, even as the body winds down.
For many people, rest no longer marks the end of the day—it interrupts it. Work slows,…
Rosinger named recipient of Kopp International Achievement Award
Asher Rosinger, associate professor of biobehavioral health and anthropology as well as the environmental health sciences program area leader in the College of Health and Human Development, is the recipient of the 2026 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award.
Established in 1995, the award…