Getting racial equity research into the hands of policymakers
Racial inequities are enduring and pervasive problems in the US that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and contribute to poor public health outcomes.
For instance, studies have found that working from home is only possible for 1 in 5 Black people (U.S. Dept of Labor Statistics) and the…
SSRI Faculty Fellow applications due October 11
The SSRI Faculty Fellows program supports Penn State faculty members in the social and behavioral sciences to develop new interdisciplinary collaborations aimed at building a novel line of sustainable research through securing external funding. PLEASE NOTE - applications should first be submitted…
Schmitt Russell Research Lecture to focus on effects of daily stress
David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies and a faculty member with the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State, will deliver the Pauline Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, “Health as a Daily Experience: Lessons from 42,243 Days of U.S. Adults,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29…
Socializing may improve older adults' cognitive function in daily life
Socializing with others is important for mental health and well-being, and it may help improve cognition, as well — especially for older adults, according to new research.
In a study led by Ruixue Zhaoyang, assistant research professor of the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State, the researchers…
Five faculty members join Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction
Penn State’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently announced five new co-funded faculty members who will join the consortium in the 2021-22 academic year: Kristina Brant, Sarah Brothers, Brandy Henry, Jennifer Nyland, and Sujeong Park.
Kristina Brant will start her position as…
Researchers address need for bridges in remote Alaska as climate warms
Bridges are increasingly critical for remote communities in rural Alaska, where global warming is causing rivers to freeze later, thaw earlier and form thinner ice. With a new grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at Penn State plan to investigate the importance of bridges for the…
Study explores link between earthquakes, rainfall and food insecurity in Nepal
The effects of monsoon rainfall on food insecurity in Nepal vary by earthquake exposure, with regions that experienced both heavy earthquake shaking and abundant rainfall more likely to have an inadequate supply of nutritious food.
That is one of the conclusions of a study led by Heather Randell,…
Childhood gender nonconformity in boys linked to early androgens
In laboratory animals, sex differences in behavior occur because different hormone levels produced by males and females influence patterns of gene expression in the developing brain. However, the origins of sex differences in human behavior are not as well understood, according to a team of…
School boundary changes and diversification in a suburban school district topic of new PPN brief
A recent policy brief by the Pennsylvania Population Network in collaboration with the Center for Education and Civil Rights at Penn State demonstrates diversification of suburban communities do not necessarily translate into school-level integration. This is partly due to school attendance zone…
HHD Dean's Lecture Series special event to focus on vaccine hesitancy
The College of Health and Human Development Dean’s Lecture Series will host a special event focused on vaccine hesitancy.
Delivered by Daniel Salmon, professor of international health and health, behavior and society and director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University's…
HHD professor and graduate students “rappel for recovery”
As part of National Recovery Month, Hobart ‘Bo’ Cleveland, SSRI cofunded faculty member and professor of human development and family studies, Erik Dolgoff, graduate student in human development and family studies, and Samuel Wakely Stull, graduate student in biobehavioral health, recently…
Applications now open for translational research Early-Stage Investigator Training Program (KL2)
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute is now accepting applications for its Early-Stage Investigator Training Program (KL2) to provide research training. The two-year program is funded through a National Institutes of Health KL2 grant that is a part of Penn State’s Clinical and…
Morgan quoted in article about China's screen time ban
(Reuters) - Raleigh Smith Duttweiler was folding laundry in her Ohio home, her three children playing the video game Minecraft upstairs, when she heard an NPR story about new rules in China that forbid teenagers and children under age 18 from playing video games for more than three hours a week.…
Investigating the Adolescent Brain Through Film Watching
Adolescence provides a unique opportunity for neuroscientists to understand an important in-between step in brain development. Straddling the worlds between adulthood and childhood, adolescents often are expected to take on more responsibility and independence, yet their brains are still not fully…
Enforcement of Penn State COVID-19 policies for faculty
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Penn State implemented measures to support the health and safety of our workforce, students, and community and to minimize spread of the virus. Per policy AD101 (COVID-19) all employees are required to adhere to these…
People often avoid feeling compassion for others, feel it's a lot of effort
Compassion helps us relate to and feel sympathy for others as they experience hardships, but a new study suggests some people may actively avoid feeling compassion when given the choice.
In a series of studies, the researchers found that when given the option, people often chose to avoid feeling…
Report finds lack of teacher diversity in Pennsylvania
Research on racial desegregation and inequality in K-12 schools has consistently demonstrated the benefits of school integration for students but according to Penn State College of Education researchers, teacher diversity is also important for providing students with a well-rounded educational…
EIC Podcast Episode 14: Navigating PA’s Child Welfare System and Issues of Child Maltreatment
On the latest Evidence-to-Impact Podcast, we explored Pennsylvania’s child welfare system and issues of child maltreatment through the lens of an existing partnership between Penn State and government partners. We spoke to Jennie Noll, Ph.D., professor of human development and family studies and…
Registration is open for 'Uncover the Power of Observational Studies'
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present "Uncover the Power of Observational Studies" at its next Research Methods Seminar Series from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 14. This seminar series is held virtually.
The Research Methods Seminar Series features statisticians and…
Data4Action Project Update - August 2021
The initial survey of the Data4Action (D4A) project was completed by more than 10,000 respondents and included questions about the economic, employment, and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 respondents also participated in biological testing, with the fourth wave of…
2021 Family symposium to focus on environmental impact to relationships and well-being
Penn State’s 29th annual Symposium on Family Issues will examine the role of the physical environment in family relationships, behaviors, and well-being, with a focus on disasters, climate change, and the built environment.
“Environmental Impacts on Families: Change, Challenge, and Adaptation” will…
Moral Agency Workshop
The Moral Agency Workshop is an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students who do work broadly related to ethical and moral decision-making. The workshop is one of the central features of the Moral Agency and Moral Development initiative in the Rock Ethics Institute.
The group convenes once a…
Astrophysicists, social scientists to probe the universe's deepest mysteries
The LSST Corporation (LSSTC), a nonprofit consortium of approximately 30 research Institutions including Penn State, has received $7 million to establish the LSSTC Catalyst Fellowship funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The fellowships will support early-career researchers in astrophysics and…
Helping special education teachers under stress
Special education teachers are at heightened risk for stress and burnout, which negatively impacts their effectiveness and well-being. With a new five-year, $4 million grant from the Institute of Educational Sciences, Penn State and Georgia State University (GSU) researchers are teaming up with…
16th Annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography taking place on Oct. 1
“Surviving Two Epidemics: Resilience and Health in the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health 1998-2021” will be presented by Hans-Peter Kohler at Penn State's 16th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography Oct. 1, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in The Living Center, Henderson Building, and virtually…