Brook J. Lenfest Foundation supports students from foster care system
The Brook J. Lenfest Foundation, in partnership with the Philadelphia Foundation, has committed up to $630,000 to Penn State as part of the Lenfest "Immensitas" Scholars Program, which will provide scholarship support for youth from the Philadelphia region in foster care and aging out of foster…
Training seminars offered for patient population discovery tool TriNetX
April 29, 2021
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute is offering four training sessions for its patient population discovery tool for health research, TriNetX. Training sessions will be held virtually on May 26. Registration is required for each session.
Through TriNetX…
Parents more lenient about alcohol with teens who experience puberty early
Parents of teens who went through puberty early may be more lenient when it comes to letting them consume alcohol, according to a new Penn State study. But the researchers said that even if adolescents appear more mature, drinking alcohol is still not safe for them.
Rebecca Bucci, a doctoral…
Pennsylvania losing congressional seat explained in new brief
Pennsylvania is set to lose one U.S. House seat as its population growth lags behind some other states, the Census Bureau announced this week.
The change comes due to apportionment after completion of the 2020 Census. Raeven Chandler, director of the Pennsylvania Population Network (PPN) and…
Food Access and Insecurity During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in ways beyond what we could have imagined. The disruption of essential elements of life, such as food, water, money, and housing, has been devastating to families and communities, particularly those most vulnerable. While some of the impact on the…
AI Hub to help enhance Penn State's global leadership in artificial intelligence
Penn State has launched an expanded initiative in artificial intelligence (AI), termed the AI Hub. It will bring together the University’s considerable resources and talent in AI to further advance its position as a global leader developing fundamental innovations in AI, in using AI and machine…
Frankenberg recognized with 2021 Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education and demography in the College of Education and PRI affiliate, is the recipient of Penn State's 2021 Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award.
The award honors and recognizes outstanding achievement by a faculty member with at least five years of service who…
Pérez-Edgar named recipient of 2021 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award
SSRI Associate Director and cofunded faculty member Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies and professor of psychology in the College of the Liberal Arts, has received Penn State's 2021 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award.
The award, established in 1992 by The Graduate School, is…
Buss recognized with 2021 President's Award for academic integration
Kristin Buss, Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families, Professor of Psychology; professor of human development and family studies; and head of the psychology department in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts; has been awarded Penn State's 2021 President’s…
Congressional Use of Evidence Can Be Improved: Reflections from a Trial of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration Model
By Max Crowley, Taylor Scott for the William T. Grant Foundation
As we consider the state of domestic policymaking in the United States, it is easy to feel disillusioned about the role research evidence has played over the last few years. From denialism to misuse, science seems to be frustratingly…
Why Social Science? - Because Leaders Need to Know How to Lead with Evidence
By Ellen Peters, PhD, Director, Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon
Being bad at math can kill people. Even experts who should understand medical science and help us make good health decisions sometimes fail. In December, a doctor—let’s call him Dr. Smith—advised a…
Glick recognized by Penn State Global Programs
Penn State Global Programs has announced the 2020-21 recipients of its annual awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and academic programs at Penn State who have helped to advance the University’s global engagement goals.
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes one…
Byun honored at recent College of Education awards ceremony
Penn State College of Education faculty, staff and students who have made compelling and momentous contributions to their chosen fields or majors over the past year were honored April 15 at the college’s virtual spring appreciation and awards ceremony.
Winners were selected through nomination…
EIC Podcast on childcare during the pademic with Karen Grimm-Thomas and Philip Sirinides now available
This month, the Evidence-to-Impact Podcast returns to the Pandemic Perspective series and explore the state of the childcare system in Pennsylvania during the pandemic. We discuss the challenges and opportunities to funding, access, and quality for the childcare system.
We spoke to Karen Grimm-…
COVID-19 pandemic may have increased mental health issues within families
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many families found themselves suddenly isolated together at home. A year later, new research has linked this period with a variety of large, detrimental effects on individuals’ and families’ well-being and functioning.
The study — led by Penn State…
What do I need to know about the J&J COVID-19 vaccine?
The FDA has paused use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine after six people—out of the almost 7 million people who so far have received the vaccine—developed a rare blood clotting disorder. Experts do not yet know if the J&J vaccine is responsible for the blood clots, so even though six events in…
Penn State seeks community partners for advance care planning project
Reducing health disparities by examining the effectiveness of tools that encourage end-of-life conversations may improve the likelihood that underserved patients receive care that is consistent with their values and beliefs. To achieve this outcome, Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) has partnered…
E-cigarettes with cigarette-like nicotine delivery reduce exposure to carcinogen
E-cigarettes that deliver a cigarette-like amount of nicotine are associated with reduced smoking and reduced exposure to a major cancer-causing chemical, or carcinogen, in tobacco even with concurrent smoking, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and…
GIS technology helps map out how America's mafia networks were 'connected
At its height in the mid-20th century, American organized crime groups, often called the mafia, grossed approximately $40 billion each year, typically raising that money through illegal or untaxed activities, such as extortion and gambling.
A team of researchers used geographic information systems…
Grant provides funds to study housing program impact
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant will provide funding to a team of Penn State faculty as they evaluate the effect of an innovative housing program on neighborhood racial and economic equity in Pittsburgh.
Support for “The Impact of Pittsburgh’s Innovative Mobility Vouchers and Mobility…
Workshop: Dynamical Systems Approaches to Intensive Longitudinal Data
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present the workshop “Dynamical Systems Approaches to Intensive Longitudinal Data” from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on May 12.
Sy-Miin Chow, SSRI cofunded faculty member and professor of human development and family studies, will provide an overview…
2021 Lecture on Compassion to focus on preventing premature aging
Early life experiences involving feelings of love, safety and fear may influence whether someone remains healthy as they age.
“In many ways, aging, and resilience to premature aging, begins in the womb, and is especially influenced early in life,” said Elissa Epel, professor of psychiatry at the…
Data science talk to focus on COVID-19 database available to Penn State faculty
Finding the right dataset can sometimes be a challenge in data science. A new initiative will provide Penn State researchers with access to a trove of COVID-19 data, updated frequently by health care systems around the United States. Penn State faculty can learn how to get access to the database…
Penn State faculty offer tips on avoiding burnout amid pandemic
As employees and students of Penn State face the uncertain circumstances of the pandemic, University faculty offer advice on how to avoid burnout or, if you are already feeling sapped of energy and interest -- how to recover.
According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an…
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…