Contest explores artificial intelligence’s strengths, flaws for medical diagnoses
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) will host “Diagnose-a-thon,” a competition that aims to uncover the power and potential dangers of using generative AI for medical inquiries. The virtual event will take place Nov. 11-17.
The challenge is open to…
Penn State hosting community engagement and applied research symposium Nov. 7–8
A symposium centering around community engagement and applied research will take place Nov. 7–8 at Penn State University Park.
The event — hosted by faculty in the rural sociology program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and titled “Community-University Partnerships for Radical Community…
Conference to focus on moral decision-making research
Penn State’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making and Moral Psychology Research Group are cohosting a conference Nov. 15-17 to highlight interdisciplinary research on moral and ethical decision-making.
There will be two keynote talks by Penn State alumni researchers beginning at…
Ask an expert: Immigration and the 2024 presidential election
Immigration remains a top concern for American voters, and a topic fueling much debate in the news and on social media. Penn State News spoke with Jennifer Van Hook, distinguished professor of sociology and demography and director of SSRI's Population Research Institute, about immigration and the…
Research collaboration launches civil rights in education initiative
A new civil rights in education initiative, called AdvancED Equity, that focuses on advancing research to inform policy related to civil rights protections in the field of education, was recently established with contributions from Penn State.
Funded in part by Penn State’s Social Science…
2025 IEE Seed Grant Program accepting energy, environmental project proposals
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Proposals are now being accepted for Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2025 Seed Grant Program. All proposals must align with at least one of IEE’s research themes: climate and natural systems; health and the environment; integrated energy systems;…
New module to support caregivers of children who are neurodivergent
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse), in partnership with the Department of Defense, has launched a new parent-education module designed to help parents and caregivers navigate the journey with their children who are neurodivergent or…
Students who feel more university connection may be more likely to binge drink
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students who feel a sense of belonging at their university are more likely to binge drink than those who do not feel the same connection, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State, the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Oregon.
In the study,…
New immigration and families publication available
Following Penn State’s 31st National Symposium on Family Issues, Springer has released the latest edition in the book series based on the symposium, “Immigration Policy and Immigrant Families.”
Jennifer Van Hook, director of Population Research Institute (PRI) and distinguished professor of…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Help Prepare Students for Employment
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from The Conversation, where Dr. Sandra Lapointe writes about how social sciences and humanities programs can help prepare students for employment and navigating their next professional steps.
Future graduates face complex global…
Penn State joins national initiative to support public impact research
Seeking to increase the societal impact of university research, Penn State has joined a multi-year collaborative effort led by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to identify and promote new approaches to support faculty and researchers undertaking public impact research.…
$3.1M grant to fund study on early signs and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
A four-year, $3,148,346 National Institute of Aging (NIA)-funded project aims to use computational models and psychology to study the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (ADRD) that may appear approximately 20 years before an official diagnosis, according to Zita Oravecz,…
Expert in promoting well-being of diverse communities to speak at Penn State
The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State will honor Phillip W. Graham, a principal scientist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, with the title of 2024 Bennett Lecturer in Prevention Science. Graham, a leading expert in conducting community-level research…
York student finds support, mentorship in Fostering Lions Program
When filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, Charlie Keller-Golden took special note of box 52 — the box applicants should check indicating whether they are an orphan, foster youth or ward of the court.
Keller-Golden, now a third-year student majoring in…
Berks faculty receive grant to advance equity for underrepresented STEM students
Student innovation competitions, exhibitions and training programs are a crucial part of the university environment because they provide students with valuable experience that isn’t always achieved in the classroom. Researchers from Penn State Berks and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical…
New project to learn from, support Indigenous communities facing climate change
Natural disasters due to climate change have impacted over 2 billion people since the year 2000, with those in Arctic and Pacific communities disproportionally affected. An international team, including researchers from Penn State, has been awarded $1 million to compare climate risks and…
19th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography taking place Oct. 15
Dean Spears, associate professor of economics at the University of Texas-Austin, will be presenting the 19th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography on Oct. 15, 9 a.m.-noon, in the HUB-Robeson Center Room 233B and on Zoom.
Spears talk, “The World’s Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What…
Recovery community centers linked to support factors for substance use recovery
More than 46 million people in the U.S. suffered from substance use disorders and more than 100,000 died by overdose in 2001, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To address this crisis, recovery community centers (RCCs) have emerged in cities across the U.S.…
Connell appointed The Ken Young Family Professor for Healthy Children
Christian M. Connell, professor of human development and family studies, was recently named The Ken Young Family Professor for Healthy Children in the College of Health and Human Development.
The professorship is part of a $1 million gift to support a faculty member focused on enhancing the health…
Byun part of team awarded $3.5 million grant
A Penn State College of Education faculty member is part of a multidisciplinary team across several universities that has been awarded a $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation to conduct a large-scale, five-year study on community-driven initiatives to teach Asian…
Center for Socially Responsible AI invites seed funding proposals
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) invites short proposals for its annual seed funding program. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1, with projects expected to start in spring 2024 and last up to two years.
Complete details on the program…
Penn State Berks faculty receive inter-institutional research seed grant
With approximately 12% of the population in Berks and Schuylkill Counties living in poverty, food banks are a critical resource for those who face hunger issues. Penn State Berks faculty are collaborating with faculty at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) to improve…
SSRI Seed Funding now open
SSRI invites proposals for its seed funding mechanisms to provide research support for investigators from diverse fields in the social and behavioral sciences. SSRI funding opportunities also help support research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries, colleges, and research centers.
SSRI…
Why Social Science? Because People Can’t Be Represented If We Don’t Know What They Think
This month’s Why Social Science? post comes from Josh Pasek (University of Michigan) who discusses the importance of using public opinion polling as a key approach to understand the desires of the public. Read on for more.
Nine new faculty join Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is welcoming nine new co-funded faculty members to Penn State. By helping to support co-funded faculty members, SSRI is demonstrating its commitment to interdisciplinary research within the social and behavioral sciences.
Mark Ortiz, assistant professor…