Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate awards seed funding to five research projects
Penn State’s Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation has awarded seed grants to five interdisciplinary research projects. These grants support collaborative projects led by Penn State faculty who aim to generate innovative solutions to complex challenges in real estate and the built…
In many of Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas, residents have little choice but rebuild in risky locations
By Kristina Brant, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology and SSRI cofund, for The Conversation On Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood levels.…
Penn State hosting community engagement and applied research symposium Nov. 7–8
A symposium centering around community engagement and applied research will take place Nov. 7–8 at Penn State University Park. The event — hosted by faculty in the rural sociology program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and titled “Community-University Partnerships for Radical Community…
$5M grant to engage Indigenous communities in climate change research
Indigenous communities around the globe face profound threats from climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Now, an international team that includes researchers from Penn State have been awarded $5 million by the U.S. National Science Foundation, along with funding from Canada, the…
Bringing health care back to a rural Pennsylvania community
Snow Shoe Township is a small, rural community of around 1,700 people in central Pennsylvania that lies approximately 30 miles north of State College. A former coal mining town, Snow Shoe has seen an economic decline over the years. Then, in the span of one year starting in 2020, Snow Shoe lost its…
New Research Snapshots shed light on the economic and social impacts of caregivers in the North Central and Northeast U.S.
A multi-state team of researchers has released preliminary findings from a groundbreaking survey that examined the caregiving experiences of households in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S. The findings were released as two regionally focused “Research Snapshots,” which provide…
Thiede named interim director of PRI’s CSA Core
Brian Thiede, associate professor of rural sociology and demography, has been appointed as the interim director of the Computational and Spatial Analysis Core (CSA) of the Population Research Institute (PRI) at Penn State. His appointment begins July 1. Thiede is a demographer and…
Assistant professor of sociology and public policy receives Roy C. Buck Award
Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy and Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member, is the recipient of the 2024 College of Liberal Arts' Roy C Buck Award. This award recognizes the best paper accepted or published by…
Rural health symposium being held Jan. 24
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is hosting a Symposium on Social Science Research on Rural Health at Penn State on Jan. 24, 3 - 5 p.m., in 110 Henderson Building. According to symposium organizer Danielle Rhubart, assistant professor of biobehavioral health and demography and…
Brant receives Roy C. Buck Award
Kristina Brant, assistant professor of rural sociology and SSRI cofund, received the Roy C. Buck Award at the College of Agricultural Sciences' 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus. Brant was honored…