College Shapes Black, White, and Latina Women’s Work and Family Lives Differently
Having a college education shapes women’s work and family trajectories—including their marriage, parenting, and employment patterns—but the effects of education differ among Black, Latina, and white women, according to new research in the journal Demography.
Here are some of the key findings…
Why Social Science? - Because It Might Help Us Save American Democracy
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. John T. Jost (New York University) and Dr. Daniela Goya-Tocchetto (University of Buffalo) who discuss political polarization and the future of American democracy.
By John T. Jost, Ph.D. (New York University) and Daniela Goya-Tocchetto,…
Assistant professor of sociology and public policy receives Roy C. Buck Award
Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy and Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member, is the recipient of the 2024 College of Liberal Arts' Roy C Buck Award.
This award recognizes the best paper accepted or published by…
Consortium celebrates successful first year
Penn State’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making had a successful first year of events and funding opportunities to further its mission in creating an interdisciplinary, collaborative network of social scientists and scholars studying how people make moral and ethical decisions.
Directed by…
President Bendapudi visits SSRI
Recently, Penn State President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi visited SSRI to learn about our institute and the important research being conducted in the social sciences at Penn State. After a welcome from SSRI Director Deborah Ehrenthal, President Bendapudi heard highlights from SSRI core research resources…
Dehydration in middle-aged and older adults may lead to attention challenges
Dehydration can lead to a wide array of mild to severe symptoms, from temporary inconveniences on mood to life-threatening concerns. Researchers in the Penn State Department of Biobehavioral Health studied how dehydration affects cognitive performance. They found that even mild…
Professor wins diversity mentorship funds to bring Texas student to Penn State
It was a presentation he never intended to do, yet it changed the entire outlook of his post-undergraduate journey. Little did Michael Segovia know, his presentation at an October conference in warm San Antonio, Texas, would a bring him to chilly State College in February for a post baccalaureate…
Damaske featured on NPR's Marketplace, AP, more
PRI Associate Director Sarah Damaske was featured on NPR's Marketplace on May 15 in the story "A greater percentage of women are working than ever before."
In the piece, Damasked notes women’s work patterns have come to look more like men’s in that more women, especially women with college…
'Research Art Collection' showcase in Old Main
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research at Penn State hosted an open house for the “Research Art Collection” on April 25. The collection showcases the fine balance between art and research through various displays. From cassowary bird scans to bio-manufactured fashion to sustainable…
Understanding how behavior problems are related to child abuse and neglect
Do abuse and neglect cause behavior problems among children or do behavior problems among children cause abuse and neglect? A new study from researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development confirmed that the former happens much more often than the latter.
Anneke Olson,…
Child Maltreatment Solutions Network call for posters
Penn State's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Fall 2024 Conference, being held on November 15, has announced a call for posters related to the conference theme "Biological Embedding of Caregiving Adversity".
Although child maltreatment will be a central focus of the conference, any work…
Many people in the Arctic are staying put despite climate change, study reports
Temperatures are rising rapidly in the Arctic, raising questions about how communities are coping in the shifting climate. A team led by Penn State researchers reviewed studies from the past 30 years to examine whether these challenges are causing people to migrate out of the area — or if, and why…
SSRI celebrates accomplishments, staff awards
Faculty and staff from all of SSRI's units recently gathered at the Hintz Family Alumni Center to celebrate major accomplishments of the year and to announce staff awards.
Elise Dreibelbis from the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness was awarded the “Workplace Climate Award”. The award…
Vowel intelligibility testing may help monitor progression for people with ALS
Approximately 31,000 people are living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United States, with an average of 5,000 new cases every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive…
Five faculty members honored with Evan Pugh University Professorships
Five Penn State professors have been named Evan Pugh University Professors, an elite and prestigious distinction conferred by the University on only 79 faculty members since the establishment of the designation in 1960.
The five professors newly bestowed with the University’s…
Why Social Science? - Because We Need to Show Up to Have Our Voices Heard: Reflections from COSSA’s 2024 Social Science Advocacy Day
By Dr. Laura Widman (North Carolina State University); Dr. Aaryn L. Green (American Sociological Association); and Emma Southern (American University)
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from three participants from this year's Social Science Advocacy Day who reflected upon…
Exercise Research Center in Hershey available for research study use
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Exercise Research Center (ERC), located at the Hershey Center for Applied Research across from the College of Medicine campus, provides 4,500 square feet of dedicated research space for exercise-based study visits to Penn State…
Fentanyl and COVID-19 pandemic reshaped racial profile of overdose deaths in US
For as long as statistics about opioid overdose deaths have been collected in the United States, white individuals have been much more likely to die than Black individuals of the same age. With the rapidly increasing rate of fentanyl overdoses in the late 2010s, that trend began to…
First Lenfest Immensitas Scholar slated to graduate spring 2024
Three years ago, longtime philanthropist Brook Lenfest was examining the educational outcomes of young people who emerge from the Philadelphia-area foster care system, and he didn’t like what he was seeing. In essence, they were being ushered onto a ladder to higher education that was missing most…
SRC participates in Denim Day for sexual violence awareness
Staff at the Survey Research Center (SRC) recently observed Denim Day, which raises awareness about all forms of sexual violence. Now in its 25th year, Denim Day is the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history. Throughout the country and world, the day sets…
Midcareer Faculty Advancement Program offers pathway to promotion
Like many tenured faculty members at Penn State, José Soto took some time before deciding to take the necessary steps to achieve his next big career goal — a promotion to full professor.
“Promotion was something I had thought about, but had made a conscious decision to not worry about…
Penn State social scientists head to D.C. for advocacy day
A delegation of Penn State faculty members traveled to Washington, D.C. recently to participate in the 2024 Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) Social Science Advocacy Day. Held April 8 - 9, the event brought together social and behavioral scientists from across the country to…
Guodong Liu awarded the Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is thrilled to announce Guodong Liu is the inaugural winner of the Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research.
Liu is a professor of public health sciences in the division of health services and behavioral research with…
Calorie restriction study reveals complexities in how diet impacts aging
Penn State researchers may have uncovered another layer of complexity in the mystery of how diet impacts aging. A new study led by researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development examined how a person’s telomeres — sections of genetic bases that function like…
Climate change may affect kinship care patterns in Africa
Shifting weather caused by climate change, especially drought and heat, is linked to a rise in the number of children being raised outside of their biological parents’ households in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State. The findings highlight the effects climate…