Severe flooding linked to increased deaths from opioid use in rural Appalachia
Severe flooding may contribute to higher mortality rates from opioid use in rural Appalachia, according to a study by researchers at Penn State.
The findings — published today (July 20) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — are particularly relevant as they come as severe floods…
SSRI provides supplemental funding support
The Social Science Research Institute at Penn State has announced a funding program to help support social science faculty conducting research with data from Penn State's Federal Statistical Research Data Center.
The Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) supplemental funding…
Community-Engaged Research Unit Awards Seed Grants
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute’s Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) unit recently awarded six seed grants to support interdisciplinary community-engaged research.
According to CERAP co-director and professor of biobehavioral health, Lori…
Fall 2026 opportunities for new faculty foster professional growth, connection
The Office of Faculty Affairs, Teaching and Learning with Technology, the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, the Office for Research Protections, and Penn State University Libraries have announced programs for new full-time Penn State faculty. These offerings include initiatives to foster…
Town hall to focus on research security and evolving federal requirements
Penn State’s research community is invited to attend a research town hall at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, focused on research security, international collaborations and the growing federal requirements that affect the University’s research enterprise. The event will be hosted by Senior Vice…
Brothers receives American Sociological Association’s Early Career Award
Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy at Penn State, is the recipient of the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) inaugural Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship.
The organization recognized Brothers for her “transformative work in drug policy” and…
Why Social Science? - Because Asking People Questions Provides Important and Necessary Insights
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. Kristen Olson from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln about how asking the right questions and using surveys will help us better understand and support populations we want to study.
Data are everywhere. Data are collected as we browse the…
Transgender Athletes, Birthright and Ballots: SCOTUS to Test Trump Agenda
SSRI cofunded faculty member Nicole Kreisberg, assistant professor of public policy and sociology, was quoted in this Newsweek article about birthright citizenship. Read the article here.
Addressing workforce challenges to strengthen US power grid
The nation's electric grid faces mounting pressures from aging infrastructure, growing energy demand and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. A team led by Penn State researchers is working to address a less visible but equally critical challenge: the future workforce needed to keep the…
‘Food noise’ discussion on social media helps define the term
With the rise of weight loss drugs such as GLP-1 medications in recent years, the phrase “food noise” has taken off, particularly in conversations about health and wellness on social media. While thinking about food during the day is normal, food noise is often used to describe endless, looping…
Penn State ranks 23rd in US, 92nd globally in 2027 QS World University Rankings
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is tied at No. 23 in the United States out of 184 nationally ranked institutions in the 2027 QS World University Rankings, released June 17. Internationally, Penn State is tied at No. 92, placing the University in the top 6% worldwide among the 1,504 institutions…
Q&A: Do high-pressure environments encourage moral disengagement?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Why do individuals and organizations sometimes rationalize decisions that conflict with their stated values?
According to Leah P. Hollis, professor of education policy studies in the Penn State College of Education and SSRI affiliate, the answer may lie in “moral…
Most recent Pennsylvania farm fatality report identifies agricultural hazards
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Last year, 19 people died of injuries suffered in farm-related incidents in Pennsylvania, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. This was the same number of people who died of similar farm-related injuries in 2024.
The Penn State…
Huck administrator earns international recognition
University Park, Pa. — Research Professor Camelia Kantor, director of strategic initiatives at Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and SSRI affiliate, has been selected as a 2026 Future of the Field honoree by the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI).
SRAI’s Future…
Q&A: How do recovery community centers support people in recovery over time?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than one in 10 adults in the United States believe they had a substance use problem at some point, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Among these adults, more than seven in 10 considered themselves to be in recovery. An…
Coaching parents of preschool children improved child skills through grade seven
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The children of parents who received coaching and support materials in preschool had fewer conduct problems and higher levels of academic skills more than seven years later, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers.
In a recent study…
The Social Science Research Institute announces co-funded and affiliated faculty member promotions
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute congratulates the following cofunded and affiliated Penn State faculty members on their promotions, which are effective July 1:
Promoted to Professor
Laura Cabrera Trujillo, professor, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,…
Krishnan Awarded the Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is pleased to announce Mohanraj Krishnan as the recipient of the 2026 Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research made possible by a generous endowment created by Dr. Thomas Lloyd, a former College of Medicine faculty…
When is screen time healthy and when is it not?
Smartphones have been connected to a host of modern problems including loneliness, decreased physical activity, sleep problems and all the mental and physical health issues associated with those conditions.
But not all screen time is bad, according to Nelson Roque, assistant professor of human…
Research Professor Sarah Chilenski wins international mentoring award
The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC) at Penn State has announced that Sarah Chilenski, Penn State research professor of health and human development and SSRI and CSUA affiliate, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Friend of ECPN Award by the Society for Prevention Research…
Updates to AI Resource Hub
The AI Resource Hub has been updated with a new set of peer-reviewed publications, books, tools, conference listings, and funding opportunities spanning the nine verticals of Penn State's Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI), including several new contributions from CSRAI…
Child Study Center program We Are Connected offers its students community
For even the most outgoing students, arriving at a place the size of Penn State can be a daunting experience that for some may lead to isolation, loneliness, anxiety and depression. With intentions of mitigating those risks, the University’s Child Study Center (CSC) has developed We Are Connected,…
Why Social Science? - Because It Helps Us Understand (and Change) Our Society
The most recent Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. Joshua L. Rosenbloom (Iowa State University) who writes about how social science can offer useful analysis and policy suggestions to address the negative social consequences of income inequality and wealth distrubution. Read on for more.
Senators McCormick and Fetterman urge NIH to release FY2026 appropriated funds
U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) recently sent a letter to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) urging NIH to take immediate action to ensure the timely obligation of all congressionally appropriated FY 2026 grant funding.
“Failure to disburse…
NIH Requirement Regarding Foreign Components
On May 12, 2026, the NIH issued an update reaffirming its enforcement of research security and transparency. As part of this initiative, the NIH is actively auditing publications to identify unapproved" foreign components.”
While the definition of a foreign component has not changed (per NIH FAQ),…