Nearly 40,000 kids who lost a parent to COVID-19 need immediate support
Approximately 40,000 children in the United States may have lost a parent to COVID-19 since February 2020, according to a statistical model created by a team of researchers. The researchers anticipate that without immediate interventions, the trauma from losing a parent could cast a shadow of…
Rural availability of sexual assault nurse examiners
For victims of sexual assault, high-quality health care provided by sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) is associated with improved health and prosecutorial outcomes. However, very little is known about access to SANEs.
Sheridan Miyamoto, assistant professor and SAFE-T Center principal…
Family ties protect young adults from substance misuse
Opioid use disorders now affect over 2.1 million people in the United States, and rates of drug overdose have skyrocketed over the past three decades. In a collaboration between the Penn State Population Research Institute and Syracuse University’s Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion,…
Data collection for human science, 2D materials focus of data science talks
The upcoming Data Science Community Research Talks will feature two researchers using data science approaches in their research, one studying ethical ways to conduct human science while maintaining data privacy, and another using techniques to accelerate the development of two-dimensional materials…
Frontline health care workers share perspective and advice
SSRI cofund Sheridan Miyamoto, assistant professor of nursing and principal investigator of the SAFE-T Center, is featured as one of Penn States hard-working health care heroes during the pandemic and shares advice on staying vigilant and how everyone can continue to do their part to help…
EIC Podcast on PacMAT with Max Crowley and Laura Fassbende now available
This month, the Evidence-to-Impact Podcast is taking a short break from our Pandemic Perspective series to examine an existing working relationship between academia and government. For our March episode, we explore the Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication-Assisted Treatment Program, or PacMAT,…
Podcast episode discusses sexually transmitted infection testing in young people
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute released the latest episode of its Engage Podcast discussing research into sexually transmitted infection testing in young people. Winnie Adebayo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nursing at Penn State College of Nursing, discusses her work…
Why Social Science? - Because Engineering Is Intended to Benefit Society
By John L. Anderson, President, National Academy of Engineering
Why introduce the social sciences into engineering education and practice? The intent of engineers is to “do good” – to improve the quality and security of life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out this way, often because of a…
Addressing stigma and discrimination one story at a time
The Story Powered Initiative is a newly relaunched nationally focused initiative that addresses stigma and discrimination through sharing individual stories. Founded and led by Glenn Sterner, assistant professor of criminal justice at Penn State Abington and…
Penn State researchers combat problems of substance misuse
The misuse of alcohol, opioids, and other substances poses many serious, well-known risks to people’s health and communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, economic stress, social isolation, and anxiety about the future may have deepened the public health emergency posed by substance misuse and…
Living a stress-free life may have benefits, but also a downside
Stress is a universal human experience that almost everyone deals with from time to time. But a new study found that not only do some people report feeling no stress at all, but that there may be downsides to not experiencing stress.
The researchers found that people who reported experiencing no…
Local law-enforcement policy may affect pediatric health care
Local law-enforcement of immigration policy may affect preventable hospitalization rates for children, according to new research led by a Penn State investigator.
“This research shows that there is an association between these policies and the health of the entire community’s children,” said…
Youth obesity rates unaffected by income increases
Does higher income for family households lead to lower youth obesity rates? A Penn State researcher found study results that suggest the answer is no.
Molly Martin, associate professor of sociology and demography, recently published the findings of her study in the Social Science & Medicine…
Family Symposium book series releases latest edition - 2021
The most recent volume in the Family Symposium book series, “Families, Food, and Parenting: Integrating Research, Practice, and Policy”, was published by Springer.
The 11th volume in the series is edited by Penn State professors Lori A. Francis, Susan M. McHale, Valarie King, and Jennifer E. Glick…
Treatment and vaccine research and development during the COVID-19 pandemic
Penn State’s Jennifer McCormick discusses randomized and placebo control trials and some of the ethical implications of placebo control trials in the context of vaccine development in this post.
For more, visit the Insights from Experts website — a partnership of Penn State's Social Science…
Annual substance use and addiction conference to be held virtually on May 3
Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) will hold its second annual conference to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, foundation representatives and the public to discuss significant and emerging problems in combating substance use and…
Data4Action Project Update - March 2021
As the Centre County COVID-19 Data4Action Research Project moves into phase three, the next round of clinic visits and surveys for the student participants is underway as of April 1, 2021 - please watch for emails with the information. For the community resident participants, scheduling…
Protective factors help military families thrive
While some military families experience difficulties due PTSD, depression, and deployment disruptions, the majority of these families are functioning well. Researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State are examining these thriving military families to better…
COVID-19 Case Rates in Rural & Urban PA
When the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in the United States, much of the discussion and attention centered on urban epicenters with rapid spread due to the high population density. While rural areas are less populous, other characteristics of rural America make those individuals living there…
Community reminded to not publicly post Zoom links online
Penn State students, faculty and staff are reminded that to help prevent “Zoom-bombing,” a type of online harassment where an individual hijacks a video conference to wreak havoc, it is strongly recommended that meeting links not be posted publicly on social media platforms and other online sites.…
Deaths in the family can shape kids' educational attainment in unexpected ways
Deaths of family members may trigger ripple effects across family networks, reverberating in the lives of children in complex and, sometimes, unexpected ways.
In a study, the researchers found that deaths in the family can affect the educational attainment of children. That impact most often is…
Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse seeks applications for seed grant program - 2021
The Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA), part of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State, has announced an invitation for Level 2 pilot research projects aimed at addressing issues related to substance use and addiction. The program seeks interdisciplinary Penn State…
Learning about health from trusted sources may help teens battle depression
Depression can be a common problem for teens and adolescents, and while many treatments exist, they don’t always work for everyone. A new study found that feeling more informed about their health may help teens take better care of themselves, leading to less depressive symptoms.
The researchers…
Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness Recognized as a Critical Resource
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State was recently recognized by a review published by the Journal of Youth Development (JYD) as a critical resource for youth-serving professionals.
According to the review, the Clearinghouse delivers “a trusted, easy-to-navigate source of…
Global Programs Annual Report 2020 now available
The Global Penn State annual report for 2020 is available as a digital flipbook {https://issuu.com/psuglobal/docs/penn_state_global_2020_annual_report} and is a window into the global activities of Penn State. While we recognize the global engagement of Penn State faculty,…