Lozinski joins the Population Research Institute
Regina Lozinski was recently named the Research Project Manager for SSRI's Population Research Institute (PRI). In this role, she will primarily manage the workflow and oversee the P2C NICHD infrastructure grant cores as well as administer the PRI seed grant program, aiming to support…
New funding opportunities from the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
SSRI’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN), is offering two new funding opportunities to aid in innovative research addressing and dealing with child maltreatment, adversity, resilience, and prevention. These opportunities are designed to support both faculty and emerging researchers who…
Penn State professor addresses veteran career pathways at legislative meeting
Daniel F. Perkins, principal scientist at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) and distinguished professor of family and youth resiliency and policy in the College of Agricultural Sciences, participated Sept. 24 in a joint informational meeting of the…
SSRI seeks director for Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State University (Clearinghouse) is an applied research center within the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). The Clearinghouse conducts applied research designed to improve the health and well-being of military service members, veterans…
SSRI seeks new director
OSVPR is commencing the search for Director, Social Sciences Research Institute. The new SSRI Director will build on a strong foundation to promote the social and behavioral sciences at Penn State, including by working with faculty from across the University as well as the other OSVPR Institute…
How quickly people age during midlife predicted memory lapses 10 years later
Most people occasionally misplace their car keys or forget a dentist's appointment, especially as they get older. When memory lapses occur regularly and interfere with daily life, however, they could be a sign of a serious decline in a person’s cognitive ability, according to David Almeida,…
2026 Impact Map update is underway
The annual update of the Penn State Community Impact Map
Please review and update all previous submissions and enter any new submissions for the recently ended 2025–2026 academic year using the Community Impact Map Activities Dashboard.
Also, please remember that:
all previously submitted entries…
CGS-SSRI Global Social Science Research Impact Grants
The Center for Global Studies (CGS), in partnership with the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), is pleased to announce the Global Social Science Research Impact Grants for the 2026–27 academic year.
These grants provide up to $5,000 to support tenured and tenure-line faculty at University…
Keith Aronson to retire after 25 years at Penn State
After 25 years at Penn State, Keith Aronson, associate director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), director of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) and research professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Health, will retire at the end of the…
PRI Population Science Fall Seminar Series kicks off
The Population Research Institute (PRI) and the Collaborative on Population Aging Disparities will host the Population Science Seminar Series this fall, featuring hour-long talks from scholars whose research examines population dynamics and the social forces that shape them.
The series brings…
Van Hook elected president of the Population Association of America
Jenny Van Hook, distinguished professor of sociology and demography and director of SSRI’s Data Resources Hub, was recently named president-elect of the Population Association of America (PAA).
This is a prestigious honor that reflects Van Hook’s stature in the field and her long-standing…
SSRI cofunded faculty featured in The Conversation
Several SSRI cofunded faculty members authored articles that appeared recently in The Conversation:
Kristina Brant described the effects of severe flooding on overdose risk in Appalachia in this article Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia.
Anne Pisor reported on the…
New partnership to strengthen research connections, support at Penn State
The Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation (CORE) at Penn State Behrend and the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State have formalized a collaboration to better support research across the University.
The partnership will enable CORE to expand all…
Rose awarded PSNI award
SLEIC Director Emma Rose, associate teaching professor of psychology, was recently awarded the 2026 Faculty Service Award by the Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI).
The Penn State Neuroscience Institute brings together a dynamic community of researchers and scholars dedicated to understanding…
Downs recipient of distinguished research career award
SSRI Associate Director Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, was recently awarded the Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Career Award as part of the College of Health and Human Development's annual faculty and staff awards.…
Ocean heatwaves linked with poorer health among children in coastal communities
Marine heatwaves — periods of abnormally warm ocean temperatures — may have negative health effects on children who live in coastal communities in low- or middle-income countries, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The study —…
Mothers on the Move Brings New Families Together Through Dance and Community Support
This fall, Mothers on the Move (MOM), a Penn State College of Medicine–led community initiative, will launch its first free pilot program for first-time mothers and their partners in Central Pennsylvania. Founded by Penn State faculty member and SSRI affiliate Vida Abedi, PhD, the program uses…
Historic Kenyan drought reshaped livelihoods, health and daily life
During a historic drought in northern Kenya, a pastoralist community turned to a food source it had long viewed as a fallback for people without livestock: fishing.
As herds dwindled and families struggled to obtain food, fishing on nearby Lake Turkana became increasingly common among the Daasanach…
Special issue on infant-toddler care now available
We are so excited to share that our Early Childhood Research Quarterly Special Issue, “Infant-Toddler Care and Services,” is now available.
The Early Childhood Research Quarterly is one of the leading journals in the early childhood field, so it is especially meaningful to have a Special Issue…
Deborah Ehrenthal to step down as director of Social Science Research Institute
After five years of leading the Penn State Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), Deborah Ehrenthal, professor of biobehavioral health, will step down as director and return to the faculty within the College of Health and Human Development at the end of 2026.
SSRI is one of nine…
USDA grant to help uncover opportunities and challenges facing rural governments
A new $590,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will help fund an ongoing project to survey county governments across the U.S. to better understand the challenges they face in providing services and enacting policies that improve economic…
Q&A: Why is the Amish population growing so fast in America?
The Amish, a Christian denomination and a three-centuries old German ethnic migrant group known for its strict lifestyle standards, are one of the fastest growing minority populations in the U.S. For more than a century, the number of Amish people — whose American lineage traces back to…
Faculty success and equity workshops, keynote to take place
The Initiative for Faculty Success and Equity (IFSE) Inclusive Excellence Series will be held throughout the Fall 2026 semester, bringing Penn State faculty together for a series of workshops and a keynote presentation focused on fostering civic dialogue, civil discourse, and inclusive teaching…
Child Maltreatment Solutions Network awards new projects through endowment
The Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) at Penn State has awarded funding to support 12 new projects through its university-sponsored endowment in 2026.
“The Child Maltreatment Solutions Network’s seed funding program is designed to spark innovative ideas and foster new interdisciplinary…
Spalvins joins Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
SSRI welcomes Tracy Spalvins to the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network team as an administrative assistant.
Tracy has spent over 20 years in the College of the Liberal Arts' Child Study Center as a lead research coordinator and research assistant. She primarily worked with Dr. Karen Bierman…