College students' sense of belonging related to mental health during pandemic
Among the many challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to the higher education community, one of the most serious is arguably the toll on college students’ mental health. Penn State researchers have found that students’ sense of belongingness in a higher education institution not only…
Penn State professor to serve President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition
David Conroy, professor of kinesiology at Penn State, was recently named to the 2022 President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board.
The board is charged with providing scientific expertise, supporting implementation of programs, and developing reports for the broader council.…
Shenk named AAAS Fellow
Congratulations to PRI Associate Mary Shenk, one of five Penn State faculty members named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society.
Story in Penn State News.
Crowley elected to Board of Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice
Max Crowley, associate professor of human development and family studies & public policy and director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, was recently elected to the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice Board of Directors.
Formed in 1924 as the American…
Can wearable technology predict the negative consequences of drinking?
“How much have you had to drink?” might seem like a simple question, but it is not always easy to answer. Although there are general guidelines about responsible alcohol consumption, a person’s level of intoxication depends not only on the number of drinks they consume but also on the alcohol…
Connection to racial identity may boost body image in Black youth
Adolescence can be a time filled with anxiety and insecurity about body shape and size, but a new Penn State study found that for Black youth, having a strong racial identity may help stave off these worries.
The researchers found that among Black youth between the ages of 11 and 19 with high body…
Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to seven projects - 2022
The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) recently announced the results of its second seed funding competition, awarding more than $96,000 to advance seven interdisciplinary research projects that feature researchers from 11 colleges and institutes.
Each…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Help Us Build an Effective Infodemic Response
By Anna Harvey, President, Social Science Research Council
The World Health Organization defines an infodemic as the spread of “false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. It causes confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm health. It also…
Examining the opioid epidemic through the lens of crime data
The opioid overdose epidemic in the United States remains a critically important public health issue that continues to worsen as time goes on. The estimated death toll in 2021 has reached the historical high of 100,000 overdose deaths from all drugs and over 75,000 deaths from opioid overdoses. We…
How can body weight affect the mortality risk of excessive drinkers?
While research has long shown a higher risk of death linked to alcoholism for people with overweight, a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that people with underweight who drink excessively may be at an even higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and…
Positive parenting and parenting satisfaction among post-9/11 veteran fathers
Most military and veteran families thrive, but research largely ignores the role of fathers.
A recent Penn State study with a large sample of post-9/11 veteran fathers examined factors that were associated with positive parenting. Positive parenting includes providing a heathy environment, being a…
Penn State social sciences research expenditures receive top ranking
Penn State social sciences are among the top universities in the nation in research expenditures, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures, released in January 2022.
The rankings, for the 2020 fiscal year,…
Family Symposium examines intersection of physical environment and family health
Penn State’s 29th annual Symposium on Family Issues, “Environmental Impacts on Families: Change, Challenge, and Adaptation”, examined the role of the physical environment in family relationships, behaviors, and well-being, with a focus on disasters, climate change, and the built environment.…
Penn State research ranks 22nd nationally in total research expenditures
Penn State’s research enterprise ranks 22nd in the country in total research expenditures, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures, released in January 2022.
The rankings, for the 2020 fiscal year, show…
How do the effects of childhood abuse extend into middle age?
Childhood sexual abuse can lead to depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and other health problems later in life. Not all abused children experience these problems, however, and researchers are working to understand whose health is affected and why.
In a new article in the journal…
Minority acceptance of combo flu-COVID vaccine higher than for COVID alone
Acceptance of a combination influenza-COVID-19 vaccine among minority individuals is higher than for the COVID-19 vaccine alone, according to new research led by Penn State. The results suggest that bundling COVID-19 vaccines or boosters with influenza vaccines may be a convenient option to…
Parent-child separation book published
"Parent-child separation: Causes, consequences and pathways to resilience", the 12th volume in Penn State’s National Symposium on Family Issues book series, was recently published. The book is edited by PRI Director Jennifer Glick, PRI associate Valarie King, and former SSRI Director Susan M.…
New approach can help identify young children most at risk for obesity
Newly developed risk scores synthesize genetic information into an easy-to-interpret metric that could help clinicians identify young children most at risk of developing obesity.
The study, led by researchers at Penn State, used novel statistical methods to establish scoring criteria using data…
COVID-19 case trajectories may be predicted by surveying communities
The public’s willingness to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations correlates with COVID-19 case projections in zip codes where those surveyed about their intended behaviors live, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The researchers said…
Penn State professor named among most influential in shaping education - 2022
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership) and demography at Penn State and director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights, was recently named to the 2022 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list of top 200 U.S.-based university scholars who influence education…
Parenting intervention effective in preventing childhood obesity among siblings
While childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S., a parenting intervention proven to help first-time parents prevent childhood obesity is helping second-born children as well, even without further training for the parents.
The work was recently published in the journal, Obesity.
According…
How understanding neighborhoods can help reduce tobacco use
A Penn State researcher testing a new way to assess tobacco use with a neighborhood mapping platform and in-person interviews has found that community engagement is key to addressing risky health behaviors.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Teach Us How to Be Kinder to Ourselves
By Yuki Miyagawa, Otemon Gakuin University
When you look back on your life, you may think about a time when you failed at something. Maybe there was a time when you failed an important exam, or a time when you messed up a big presentation at work. Maybe there was something you just can’t forget…
Grant to support instruction of trauma-informed practices in the classroom
Trauma can have detrimental effects on the academic performance of students, particularly those with disabilities. A five-year training grant awarded to researchers in the Penn State College of Education will collaboratively prepare master’s degree candidates as special education teachers and…
Connecting researchers to policymakers to optimize educational equity
A partnership between Francesca Lopez, Waterbury Chair in Equity Pedagogy and professor of education in the Penn State College of Education, and Penn State’s Research-to-Policy Collaboration was recently awarded a $250,000 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant to connect researchers with hundreds of…