Why Social Science? Because It Can Become a Tool to Dismantle White Supremacy
By Kenneth Prewitt, PhD, President, American Academy of Political and Social Science and Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs, Columbia University
The 1966 Coleman Report was our nation’s first big social science project. It gathered and analyzed data from 600,000 students, 60,000 teachers and 4,…
Uncovering racial disparities in mortgage markets
Discrimination can take many forms, and a Penn State researcher along with his coauthors are finding new ways to uncover it.
Brent Ambrose, Jason and Julie Borrelli Faculty Chair in Real Estate in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State and director of the Penn State Institute for Real Estate…
Social Science Research Institute Director Susan McHale to step down; Search for next SSRI director to commence
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research announced on July 24 that Susan McHale will step down as the director of the Social Science Research Institute. She will continue to head the institute while a search for the next director is conducted.
McHale has served as the SSRI director…
Students use engagement grants to benefit communities in need
This summer 50 students received the Student Engagement Network’s (SEN) Remote Innovation Grants, and many of them are using those grants as a means to improve their communities and the lives of others.
In April, SEN announced it would offer $2,000 grants to students from any campus or academic…
Post-9/11 veterans with moral injury are having trouble connecting to others
A recent study, led by researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, is the first to examine the relationship between moral injury and social well-being over a long period of time. The study included nearly 10,000 veterans who were followed for three years.
Moral…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on state responses and economic health
While some states have either completely reopened their economies or are in the process of phased re-openings, in others COVID-19 cases are increasing significantly and experts warn further shut-downs may be necessary to avoid large spikes. The public within these states pay close attention to…
Protecting U.S. Biomedical Intellectual Innovation
NIH has issued a series of policy revisions and clarifications since August 20, 2018, when the Director of NIH announced three emerging concerns (diversion of intellectual property, sharing of confidential information, and failure to disclose resources). Penn State has worked diligently to…
New funding to test impact of research communication strategies on policymakers
Penn State’s Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) is responding to legislators’ needs for social and behavioral research related to the coronavirus pandemic, with support from the William T. Grant Foundation.
Housed under the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC), a unit of Penn State’s Social…
About nine family members to suffer grief from every COVID-19 fatality
Deaths from COVID-19 will have a ripple effect causing impacts on the mental health and health of surviving family members. But the extent of that impact has been hard to assess until now. Every death from COVID-19 will impact approximately nine surviving family members, according to a study.
In a…
Understanding the needs of students with or at risk for disabilities
Penn State researchers are examining how students with or at risk for disabilities can be better helped as they attend U.S. schools through two new projects totaling almost $1.2 million being funded by the National Center for Special Education Research, U.S. Department of Education's Institute of…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on building a community in medical education
Over the past 3 months, nearly 30,000 medical students across the United States have been displaced from their traditional health care roles. With relatively little warning or time for preparation, students, faculty, and administrators scrambled to create platforms, structures, and processes to…
Childhood experiences and exposure to combat linked to poorer mental health
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are early life adversities that include exposure to abuse, neglect, and living in toxic environments. Exposure to ACEs is associated with physical and mental health, as well as developmental and behavioral problems. Individuals in the military are more likely to…
EIC Podcast on the chronic crisis of housing
SSRI has released the fourth episode of the new Evidence-to-Impact Podcast.
The fourth episode features a discussion with Bryce Maretzki, director of policy and planning for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Selena Ortiz, assistant professor of health policy and administration and…
Miyamoto selected for Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leaders and Innovators Fellowship
SSRI cofunded faculty member Sheridan Miyamoto is one of 11 nurse scientists accepted to the inaugural cohort of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowships for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. This new fellowship program, funded by a five-year, $37.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on bridging research and policy
Penn State researchers provide informed commentary on the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on bridging the gap between research and policy, focusing on the many intersections between existing social issues and COVID-19 that require policymakers’ attention. Since the beginning of the outbreak,…
Penn State influences PA governmental response to pandemic
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is making an impact in Pennsylvania’s governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic through an increased presence in state-level activities.
Michael Donovan, associate director of SSRI’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative and the director of…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on supply chain mobility
Penn State researchers provide informed commentary on the impacts of the coronava virus pandemic on supply chain enterprises, focusing on the transport and logistics operators in their role as front-line, essential service providers. The transportation and logistics industry provides a vital link…
Think pink: Getting a good night's sleep in difficult times
White noise is a popular solution for drowning out unwanted sounds, but there is actually an entire rainbow of sounds. New research from Penn State suggests that "pink noise" might enhance the quality of a person’s sleep.
According to research, Americans sleep an hour less each night than they did…
Postpartum Perceived Stress Predicts Depressive Symptoms for Two Years after Birth, Study Finds
Women with higher levels of postpartum perceived stress were more likely to report depressive symptoms six months later, and that relationship persisted for 24 months after giving birth. These are among the findings of a study selected as the Editor’s Choice for the July/August issue of Women’s…
Buss named McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families
Kristin Buss, head of the Department of Psychology in the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, has been named the Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families.
A professor of psychology and human development and family studies as well as an affiliate faculty…
COVID-19 commentaries cover diverse topics
With the continued spread of COVID-19, Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), in collaboration with the Center for Health Care and Policy Research (CHCPR), are providing informed commentary on the spillover effects of the pandemic from leading social, biomedical and other scientists…
Preventing child abuse through upcoming webinar series
Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, though nationally recognized, is taking preventative measures that promote a safer community for the children locally in Centre County.
Through partnerships with Centre County Youth Services Bureau and the YMCA of Centre County, the Solutions…
SAFE-T Center creates blueprint for community-engaged response to sexual assault
Penn State’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth (SAFE-T) Center has been utilizing telehealth along with a community-engaged solution to enhance sexual assault care in rural and underserved communities in Pennsylvania. Now, its researchers are providing a guide to help others interested…
Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on scientific field work
Penn State researcher Jon Nese provides informed commentary on the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on postponing or delaying scientific field campaigns, some involving Penn State meteorology and atmospheric science faculty members.
In some cases, projects have been cancelled because NASA…
Why Social Science? Because It Can Teach Police Nonviolence and How to Work with Local Residents
By Kirssa Cline Ryckman, Jennifer Earl, Jessica Maves Braithwaite, University of Arizona
Police have a saying, “better to be judged by 12 than carried by six,” acknowledging they might face a jury if they use excessive force, but it’s preferable to being killed in the line of duty. Many police…