Two Penn State faculty named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology
Two Penn State Department of Kinesiology faculty members, Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology, and Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology, were recently named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK).
Alexander and Downs were two of 12…
Counting bites with AI might one day help prevent childhood obesity
The faster a child takes bites during a meal or snack, the greater risk they have for developing obesity, according to researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. But research into this association is often limited to small studies in laboratory environments, largely because…
Q&A: IST faculty named digital cultures fellow at the University of Queensland
SSRI Affiliate Kelley Cotter, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), was awarded the Tom O’Regan Visiting Fellowship by the University of Queensland (UQ).
According to the UQ’s School of Communication and Arts website, the…
New EIC Podcast on policing, recovery, and crime reduction
The Social Science Research Institute’s Evidence-to-Impact Podcast returns with its 25th episode, split into two parts, “ Bridging the Gap: Community Policing’s Role in Recovery and Crime Reduction Part 1 and Part 2.”
The episode features moderator Michael…
Why Social Science? - Because Research-Informed Policy Strengthens Children and Families
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) about what they're doing to continue to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and the connections between policymakers and researchers.
By Suzanne Le Menestrel, Juan Romero-Casillas, and…
Keesler Graham Professorship accepting applications
The Dr. Frances Keesler Graham Early Career Professorship provides supplemental funding to social and behavioral science faculty members at Penn State whose research is focused on relationships between the human brain and human behavior (psychological and brain science). The deadline to apply…
Penn State to co-lead national brain health and dementia prevention initiative
Scientists at Penn State, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Southern California and other institutions have formed a new research network to detect the earliest signs of dementia years before symptoms emerge. The Open Measures Network Initiative for Alzheimer’s Disease and…
Downs inducted as fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology
Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and SSRI associate director, was recently inducted as fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). Symons Downs was among 12 distinguished scholars honored on September 13 during the Academy’s 94th Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.
Downs was…
$3.6M NIH grant to study brain patterns in children with ADHD, behavior problems
Approximately 7 million children in the United States between the ages of three and 17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Up to 50% of children with ADHD also have severe problems with impulsive…
Not all heart attack patients receive the same type of care, researchers find
While acute myocardial infarction — commonly referred to as a heart attack — remains a leading cause of death in the United States, deaths have decreased significantly over the past two decades in part due to improved treatment methods, according to Charleen Hsuan, associate professor of health…
Clinical and Translational Science Institute awards four pilot grants
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, with co-sponsorship from the Center for Medical Innovation, has awarded $200,000 in grants to support four interdisciplinary, multi-investigator pilot research projects. The projects were awarded under the Bridges to Translation Pilot…
Cameron featured on podcast about empathy
On WPSU's "Reach" podcast, Daryl Cameron explains empathy as sharing feelings, perspective-taking, and compassion. It’s flexible, can be learned, and sometimes causes challenges like burnout. His research shows empathy isn’t limited; people can grow empathy for both humans and animals, emphasizing…
Young girls may be less responsive to food fullness cues than young boys
Young boys ate less during a meal if they had already consumed a serving of fruit, but girls ate the same amount of the meal whether or not they had eaten fruit, researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences found in a recent study.
The researchers said this study, available…
Six New Faculty Join Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) welcomes six new cofunded faculty members, further strengthening its mission of advancing interdisciplinary social and behavior science across the University.
The new SSRI cofunded faculty come from a wide range of colleges and disciplines…
New SSRI calendar subscription feed
Now you can subscribe to SSRI events via your Calendar in Outlook. Simply click on "Subscribe to SSRI Calendar" link at the top of the SSRI events page and follow the step-by-step directions. Once completed, your Outlook Calendar will automatically update periodically with new and updated events…
New Evidence-to-Impact Podcast Episode Explores the Destigmatization and Recovery of the Opioid Crisis
We are back! We have a discussion with Denise Holden, founder and CEO of the RASE Project, a recovery community organization that has since expanded outside of Pennsylvania and Dr. Sarah Kawasaki, the Chief of Addiction Medicine, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at Penn…
Newly named Child Health Research Center to advance health of children, families
Since 2004, the Center for Childhood Obesity Research in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development has developed evidence-based strategies to promote healthy growth and eating behaviors in children and families.
In recognition of the interconnectedness of children’s physical, mental and…
Innovative methods of studying brain health, cognition topic of upcoming lecture
Martin “Marty” Sliwinski, director of the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State and Gregory H. Wolf Professor in Healthy Aging and Human Development, will present the 2025 Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, “Measuring a Moving Target: Cognition-on-the-go and the new science of brain health,” on…
SSRI Cofund Julia Szabo recognized for enhancing teaching with technology
Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) has announced the recipients of the inaugural New Faculty Recognition Award for the 2024-25 academic year. This award recognizes new faculty at Penn State who have demonstrated a clear and ongoing commitment to enhancing student learning by actively…
Why Social Science? - Because It Gives Educators and Policymakers the Tools to Improve Education
By Tabbye Chavous, Executive Director, American Educational Research Association
Wearing my hats as a social science scholar and academic leader, I have studied trends in the development of science over the past 150 years. Over that time, scholarly science has focused on the continual advancement…
Walmart funds Clearinghouse study on skill-based veteran employment programs
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to evaluate two innovative employment programs aimed at reducing underemployment among military veterans.
According to the Veterans Metrics Initiative (TVMI),…
Lisa Gatzke-Kopp named head of human development and family studies
Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, professor of human development and family studies, has been named the head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
Gatzke-Kopp, who began her role as head of the department July 1, joined Penn State in 2007 as an assistant professor of human development and…
Registering with Global Safety Network
Penn State requires that our faculty and graduate students register with the Global Safety Network so that that the University can assist international travelers in the event that they find themselves in an emergency situation abroad (e.g., a military attack or natural disaster) or — if they are…
Q&A: What would reclassifying marijuana mean for medical research?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There may be a major change in national drug policy coming soon.
The Trump administration is considering reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The change in classification was proposed in 2024 under the Biden administration, following a…
Piazza Center awarded grant to examine fraternity affiliation and leadership
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research has been awarded $70,000 to study student learning outcomes from fraternity membership. The study, sponsored in part by the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), will examine the potential…