Veterans report underemployment, pay frustration up to four years post-service
Some veterans continue to struggle with underemployment and dissatisfaction with their pay up to four years after leaving the military, according to a recent survey study by researchers in the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse).
Published in the…
Penn State awards five new seed grants to support inter-institutional research
The 2024 awardees of Penn State’s Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research (IPDR) initiative comprise five collaborative projects that connect Penn State researchers with colleagues from Morgan State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University…
Less sleep and later bedtime in childhood linked to future substance use
A good night’s sleep is essential for children’s health and development, but childhood sleep patterns may also be linked to future substance use. A new study, led by a team of Penn State researchers, found that adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if…
Australia offers lessons for increasing American life expectancy
Despite being home to some of the world’s most dangerous animals, Australia has led the English-speaking world in life expectancy for the last three decades. As for other high-income Anglophone countries, the Irish saw the largest gains in life expectancy, while Americans have finished dead last…
Pregnant women may not be drinking enough water, researchers report
Maternal under-hydration during pregnancy is associated with a range of negative birth outcomes, including low levels of adequate amniotic fluid and plasma, disrupted fetal brain development and risk of low birth weight, according to guidelines from the American Pregnancy Association and…
$5M grant to engage Indigenous communities in climate change research
Indigenous communities around the globe face profound threats from climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Now, an international team that includes researchers from Penn State have been awarded $5 million by the U.S. National Science Foundation, along with funding from Canada, the…
Bringing health care back to a rural Pennsylvania community
Snow Shoe Township is a small, rural community of around 1,700 people in central Pennsylvania that lies approximately 30 miles north of State College. A former coal mining town, Snow Shoe has seen an economic decline over the years.
Then, in the span of one year starting in 2020, Snow Shoe lost its…
Global Social Science Research Impact Grants
Through a partnership between the Center for Global Studies and the Social Science Research Institute, Global Social Science Research Impact Grants support tenured and tenure-track social science faculty at University Park with a grant of up to $5,000 to advance global social science…
Professor’s new book examines universities’ role in advancing science
The last century has been a remarkable period of scientific discovery. And one of the primary drivers of it? Universities like Penn State, according to Professor of Sociology, Education and Demography David P. Baker.
That’s the main takeaway of “Global Mega-Science: Universities, Research…
Why Social Science? - Because Improving the Lives of Children is Complicated
This month's "Why Social Science?" post comes from Dr. Narayan Sastry (University of Michigan) who discusses the importance of social and behavioral data to improve outcomes for children over time and across generations.
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Nutrional science professor awarded the Hoebel Prize for Creativity
Kathleen Keller, professor and Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences, has been awarded the Hoebel Prize for Creativity by the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, an organization dedicated to studying ingestive behavior and its biological, physiological, and social processes.
Each…
Teens and drinking: What parents need to know and how they can influence behavior
Parents of teens and young adults can help keep their kids safer from the dangers of drinking, says Rob Turrisi, Penn State professor of biobehavioral health and SSRI cofund. Learn more in this new episode of the Raising Good Humans podcast with Dr. Aliza.
Damaske featured on in Atlantic article on retirement
Retirement Gets Harder the Longer You Wait
For men like Joe Biden—highly educated, employed past 65, strongly tied to work—stepping away can pose its own risks to health and happiness.
By Charley Locke
When President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was ending his campaign for…
New Research Snapshots shed light on the economic and social impacts of caregivers in the North Central and Northeast U.S.
A multi-state team of researchers has released preliminary findings from a groundbreaking survey that examined the caregiving experiences of households in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S. The findings were released as two regionally focused “Research Snapshots,” which provide…
Impacts of protests focus of new research funding
Protests can direct attention toward an injustice, but some activist group tactics may turn people away rather than align them with the cause. A team of researchers at Penn State are launching a project to better understand how protests and other activist group approaches impact how people think…
Ask an expert: Health care in the 2024 presidential election
Health care has often taken a central role in political campaigns, and the 2024 presidential election is no different. But the debate around health care isn’t just about policy. The issues at stake — such as health care coverage and affordability, reproductive health and substance use disorders —…
New Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative Podcast highlights Adolescent Health Network (AHN)
Penn State PRO Wellness partnered with the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative to develop a podcast about the AHN and its function.
The AHN is a program that connects health researchers with teens to get their feedback on research ideas, helps researchers design studies that are more relevant to…
MPI Issues Latest Estimates of the Size and Origins of the U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population
The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) today released its latest estimates of the size of the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States, pegging the number at 11.3 million in mid-2022. That figure is up from 11.2 million in 2021 and 11.0 million in 2019. Penn State's Migration…
Faculty success and equity workshop registration now open
Registration is now open for the “Initiative for Faculty Success and Equity Workshop (IFSE)” to be held from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
The workshop — sponsored by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), the Office of the…
Mitigating barriers for children walking and biking to school
Nearly 20 years ago, the U.S. Congress approved funding to implement the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program across the country. SRTS promotes safe and accessible active transportation, like walking or biking, for students to school through infrastructure improvements, safety education,…
Penn State Impact Story: Fostering Opportunity
Penn State’s Fostering Lions Program, part of SSRI's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, expands access to education, providing proactive and comprehensive support for foster youths through a support services network dedicated to their success.
To find out more, visit the Penn State Impact Story…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Strengthen Communities
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Dr. David Campbell (University of Notre Dame) who discusses how social capital can help make democracy work.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, we are reminded that Americans are deeply polarized. But while the term “polarization…
Annual substance use conference examines cannabis use, future of tobacco
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently hosted its fifth annual conference in the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus.
Drawing over 140 attendees throughout the day including…
Clinical and Translational Science Institute awards six pilot grants
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute is helping to generate innovative health research ideas and promote collaboration through the awarding of pilot grants in its Bridges to Translation program. The institute has awarded $250,000, with co-sponsorship from the …
Women may face unique obstacles while seeking treatment for opioid use
Women experiencing opioid-use disorders may face unique challenges accessing treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The study — published in the journal Women’s Health — provides new insight into how pregnancy and parenting can make getting medications for…