Study shows benefits to changing students' mindsets about learning
A groundbreaking new experimental study with more than 12,000 ninth grade students in the United States confirmed that a low-cost online program that takes less than an hour to complete can help students develop a growth mindset — the belief that intellectual abilities are not fixed but can be…
Applications open for Community Engaged Research Core Faculty Fellowship Program
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute‘s Community Engaged Research Core is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 Faculty Fellowship Program.
This opportunity is open to all Penn State junior or mid-level faculty who want to advance their practice of community-engaged…
Presidential debates launch faculty member into national spotlight
When Erica Frankenberg co-founded the Center of Education and Civil Rights with colleague Liliana Garces, her goal was to address the racial, ethnic, economic and linguistic segregation that continues to permeate schools across our nation.
Although more than six decades have passed since school…
How we care for the environment may have social consequences
Anyone can express their commitment to the environment through individual efforts, but some pro-environmental or “green” behaviors may be seen as either feminine or masculine, which Penn State researchers say may have social consequences.
In a series of studies, the researchers evaluated specific…
Researchers estimate societal costs of the opioid epidemic
The devastating consequences of the opioid crisis are far-reaching in the United States, impacting public health as well as social and economic welfare. Penn State researchers recently collaborated to address the issue in a supplement of The American Journal of Managed Care, titled “Deaths, Dollars…
Why Social Science? - Because It Guides Us Toward Practical and Attainable Solutions
By Tom Kecskemethy, Executive Director, The American Academy of Political and Social Science
The wisest quote about science that I’ve read in recent years was penned by Vanderbilt University’s Larry Bartels, in an article he wrote during the run-up to 2016 general election. He reminded us simply…
Are you a translational scientist?
By George A. Mashour, M.D., Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS)
Recently, an international group of investigators who are part of the Translation Together consortium defined the ideal characteristics of a translational scientist. Recall that translational…
Penn State IT recommends Mac users update Zoom to avoid security vulnerability
A security flaw in the Zoom app for Mac may be used to launch users into a call without their permission. Although Zoom has recently installed a fix for the security vulnerability, Penn State Information Technology recommends that Mac users who have not updated to the latest version of Zoom (…
Morgan cited in new federal report on race and school discipline
Lauren Camera, Education Reporter, U.S. News & World Report
Black students with disabilities are disciplined more often than their white peers, pushing them into the school-to-prison pipeline at higher rates, a new report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights shows – just the latest finding…
Machine learning in critical care
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are currently being heralded as a way to address societal challenges, including healthcare. Vasant Honavar, professor and Edward Frymoyer Chair of Information Sciences and Technology, was recently featured as the author of the guest editorial for the…
Penn State’s Institutional Review Board program announces updates to structure
Penn State investigators conducting research with people — whether surveys or clinical trials, secondary data analysis or educational interventions — work with the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) Program. The IRBs work to protect the rights and welfare of research participants and…
To Support Military Families, Pentagon Must Fix Fractured, Outdated Programs: Report
The Pentagon puts significant resources and effort into caring for military families, but the department lacks a coordinated approach and has failed to keep up with the population's changing demographics, researchers said in a new study published Friday.
With the past two decades of war putting…
What school segregation looks like in the US today, in 4 charts
By Erica Frankenburg, for The Conversation
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a senator from California, has spoken about how she benefited from attending Berkeley’s desegregated schools.
“There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public…
Trustees approve architect for Liberal Arts research and teaching building
The appointment of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) of Wilkes‐Barre, Pennsylvania, as architect for the Liberal Arts Research and Teaching Building to be constructed on the University Park campus was approved today (July 18) by the Penn State Board of Trustees.
BCJ was selected based on its work with…
Penn State to host first international conference on Project Drawdown research
Penn State, in partnership with Project Drawdown, will hold the first international conference on climate solutions, based on the 2017 New York Times best-seller “Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming.” The conference, titled “Research to Action: The Science…
Counting 11 million undocumented immigrants is easier than Trump thinks
By Jennifer Van Hook for The Conversation
It is now clear that there will be no question about citizenship on the 2020 U.S. Census.
After the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration, President Trump vowed to find a way to include the question. But with no legal path forward and time…
Administrative Data Accelerator partnering with consumer data company
Penn State's Administrative Data Accelerator has selected consumer identity management expert Infutor to support research that informs policy and improves lives.
Located in the College of Health and Human Development’s Prevention Research Center, and supported by the Social Science Research…
New report on strengthening the military family readiness system
On Friday, July 19, join co-author and SSRI cofunded faculty member Daniel Perkins for a webinar on the new report examining challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families. Members of…
Using artificial intelligence to detect discrimination
A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool for detecting unfair discrimination—such as on the basis of race or gender—has been created by researchers at Penn State and Columbia University.
Preventing unfair treatment of individuals on the basis of race, gender or ethnicity, for example, been a long-…
Film on Puerto Rico, energy policy to premiere at Penn State
“DisemPOWERed: Puerto Rico's Perfect Storm,” a film that examines the reasons why Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, will premiere at Penn State. The screening will occur at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, in Foster Auditorium in Pattee Library.
Following the screening there will be a…
Unusual eating behaviors may be a new diagnostic indicator for autism
Atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism, according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine.
Research by Susan Mayes, professor of psychiatry, found that atypical eating behaviors were present in 70% of children with autism, which is 15 times more…
Marijuana policies are changing, but they are not always based on scientific knowledge
By Diana H. Fishbein, Elizabeth Long and Sharon Kingston, opinion contributor for The Hill
Misconceptions regarding marijuana distort perceptions about its hazards and benefits. While marijuana remains on schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Substances Act, a number of state-level laws are changing…
Penn State hosts second annual Summer Institute on Migration Research Methods
Successful research methods regarding immigration and migrant populations was the focus of the 2019 Summer Institute on Migration Research Methods, held recently at Penn State’s University Park campus.
Jennifer Van Hook, Roy C. Buck Professor of Sociology and Demography and a Social Science…
Though politically divided, Americans remain patriotic
Beyond fireworks and outdoor parties, the Fourth of July provides an opportunity for citizens across the United States to reflect on what it means to be an American. Despite increasing polarization, people across the political spectrum appear to be largely united on what it means to be patriotic,…
Researchers look to unlock post-traumatic stress disorder puzzle
A team of Penn State and University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine researchers is attempting to answer a question that has long puzzled experts: Why do some individuals suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing trauma, and others do not?
The research, led by Nanyin Zhang,…