A hard year for federal workers offers a real-time lesson in resilience
By Anne Pisor, SSRI cofunded faculty member and assistant professor of anthropology and demography, for "The Conversation" Imagine going from having a book club with your co-workers to seeing them only on a Signal chat where every member has to be vetted – and the main conversation topic is when…
New associate director for graduate education at Huck Institutes named
Penn State Professor of Anthropology David Puts has been named the associate director for graduate education at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The post was most recently held by Troy Ott, professor of reproductive physiology, who served as interim director of Huck in 2024 before becoming…
Federal science cuts threaten our natural resources
By Anne Pisor for The Times-Tribune What if I told you the friendships you’ve built on the lake, river or trail could help protect Pennsylvania fisheries — would you believe me? With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), I’ve been studying how our everyday relationships — like those…
Puts elected president of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society
David Puts, professor of anthropology at Penn State and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member, was recently elected president of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society. Puts is also the principal investigator of the Behavioral Endocrinology and Evolution Lab at…
News Topics: SSRI CofundsAnthropology
Why Social Science? - Because It Turns Talk into ACTION
By The American Anthropological Association Every year on the third Thursday of February, we celebrate Anthropology Day—a chance to further our understanding of what it means to be human. Established by the American Anthropological Association, this day brings students, teachers, and professionals…
News Topics: Why Social Science?Anthropology
Q&A: Is it always ‘us vs them’? Researcher explains why flexibility is key
Urban versus rural. Penn State versus Michigan. Star Wars versus Star Trek. As social beings, humans gravitate toward groups. But sometimes group living can spur an “us versus them” mentality that causes conflict, especially when two groups are competing for the same limited resources, like money…
Long-distance friendships may provide conservation benefits
While sustaining friendships from afar can be challenging, they may offer unexpected benefits for environmental conservation. These long-distance social ties can positively influence community-based conservation, according to a new study by an international team that includes Anne Pisor, assistant…
Low voice pitch increases standing among strangers
If you’re looking for a long-term relationship or to boost your social status, lower your pitch, according to researchers studying the effects of voice pitch on social perceptions. They found that lower voice pitch makes women and men sound more attractive to potential long-term partners, and lower…
Group size and mating preferences drive deeper male voices
Deeper male voices in primates, including humans, offer more than sex appeal — they may have evolved as another way for males to drive off competitors in large groups that favored polygyny, or mating systems where a male has multiple mates, according to researchers. The research is the most…
News Topics: Anthropology