New approach can help identify young children most at risk for obesity
Newly developed risk scores synthesize genetic information into an easy-to-interpret metric that could help clinicians identify young children most at risk of developing obesity.
The study, led by researchers at Penn State, used novel statistical methods to establish scoring criteria using data…
COVID-19 case trajectories may be predicted by surveying communities
The public’s willingness to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations correlates with COVID-19 case projections in zip codes where those surveyed about their intended behaviors live, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The researchers said…
Penn State professor named among most influential in shaping education
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership) and demography at Penn State and director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights, was recently named to the 2022 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list of top 200 U.S.-based university scholars who influence…
Parenting intervention effective in preventing childhood obesity among siblings
While childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S., a parenting intervention proven to help first-time parents prevent childhood obesity is helping second-born children as well, even without further training for the parents.
The work was recently published in the journal, Obesity.…
How understanding neighborhoods can help reduce tobacco use
A Penn State researcher testing a new way to assess tobacco use with a neighborhood mapping platform and in-person interviews has found that community engagement is key to addressing risky health behaviors.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Teach Us How to Be Kinder to Ourselves
By Yuki Miyagawa, Otemon Gakuin University
When you look back on your life, you may think about a time when you failed at something. Maybe there was a time when you failed an important exam, or a time when you messed up a big presentation at work. Maybe there was something you just can’t forget…
Grant to support instruction of trauma-informed practices in the classroom
Trauma can have detrimental effects on the academic performance of students, particularly those with disabilities. A five-year training grant awarded to researchers in the Penn State College of Education will collaboratively prepare master’s degree candidates as special education teachers and…
Connecting researchers to policymakers to optimize educational equity
A partnership between Francesca Lopez, Waterbury Chair in Equity Pedagogy and professor of education in the Penn State College of Education, and Penn State’s Research-to-Policy Collaboration was recently awarded a $250,000 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant to connect researchers with…
Peter Molenaar retiring after 17 years at Penn State
The College of Health and Human Development celebrates Peter Molenaar, who is retiring at the end of the fall 2021 semester. Peter, a remarkable scholar, teacher, mentor, and friend, joined the faculty of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in 2005, coming from the University of…
E-cigs with cigarette-like nicotine delivery may help smokers quit
Electronic cigarettes with cigarette-like nicotine delivery may help some people stop smoking cigarettes, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine and Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. By switching to e-cigarettes, the researchers said tobacco…
Evidence-based Policymaking Graduate Fellowships Available
The Evidence-based Policymaking Graduate (EPG) Fellowship Program supports advanced doctoral students to partner with the EIC's Results First Team to develop and maintain policy-relevant efforts germane to their course of study. The EPG Fellowship is intended to promote exceptional trainee…
New infrastructure award on building the science and practice of evidence-based policymaking
Penn State’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) has been awarded an infrastructure grant supporting the transition and development of state-of-the-art tools to accelerate evidence-informed policymaking. This two-year award from The Pew Charitable Trusts provides over $1.4 million and the…
Institute accepting seed grant proposals for AI, computational science projects
Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) is accepting proposals for its seed grant program designed to help research groups get projects off the ground, and equip them with initial results needed to seek major external funding. Penn State faculty from any campus or college…
Why Social Science? - Because Education and Research are Essential for Solving Crime and Justice Problems
By Heather Pfeifer, PhD, President, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and John Worrall, PhD, Executive Director, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Police agencies across America are in the hot seat. Frontline officers’ every move is scrutinized, and anything that resembles excessive force is…
Research finds flawed federal monitoring of students of color with disabilities
Current federal legislation and regulation that monitors for significant disproportionality in special education may be contributing to children of color with disabilities failing to receive treatments and services to which they are legally entitled, according to a Penn State College of Education…
Looking for Associate/Full Professor in Population Aging and Health
Looking For: Associate/Full Professor in Population Aging and Health
The Social Science Research Institute and the Population Research Institute (PRI) at the Pennsylvania State University invite applications for a tenured faculty member (Associate Professor or Full Professor) in the area of…
Impacts of COVID-19 school closures on Latino sibling dynamics
School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many children spent much of their time at home in the spring of 2020. For most children, this meant more time spent with sisters and brothers, creating the potential to change family dynamics.
For family scholars like Xiaoran Sun, former…
Youth with mental illness, substance-misuse histories at risk of opioid misuse
Opioid misuse is a devastating problem in the U.S. and a leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults. Penn State College of Medicine researchers found young people with certain mental health conditions and histories of substance misuse may have an increased risk of being…
Faculty receive SSRI funds to explore students’ participation
The Flemming CEED Center faculty members and faculty members from Penn State recently received funding from the Penn State Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) "Reducing Social Disparities" initiative. The research team was awarded a grant for the project titled "An Investigation of Factors…
Evidence-based Policymaking Faculty Fellowship
The Evidence-based Policymaking Faculty (EPF) Fellowship Program supports faculty members to partner with the EIC's Results First Team to develop, execute, and maintain policy-relevant efforts to bring innovation and insights to growth areas. The EPF Fellowship is intended to incubate…
School-based screening increases identification of, treatment for depression
Students who participated in universal school-based depression screening were twice as likely to begin treatment compared to their peers who did not receive this screening, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Dr. Deepa Sekhar, associate professor of…
Q&A on NIH Diversity Supplements with Program Officials
Join the Social Science Research Institute for a Q&A session on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Diversity Supplement program for in-place grants on December 1, 10 a.m. via Zoom.
The NIH takes seriously the need to support new generations of researchers from diverse backgrounds. An…
Penn State students finalists in student video challenge
Penn State is a member of the Science Coalition, comprised of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities dedicated to public messaging in DC and across the nation. The Coalition aims to sustain the federal government’s investment in fundamental scientific research…
Van Hook appointed next director of the Population Research Institute
Dr. Jennifer Van Hook has been appointed to serve as the next director of the Population Research Institute (PRI) beginning July 1, 2022. PRI is a multidisciplinary research center at Penn State that promotes innovative population research. Part of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction launches new website
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA), a unit of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), has launched its new website.
The new website corresponds to a name update, from the "Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse" to the "Consortium on Substance Use…