'Fostering Lions' program connects foster youth with opportunity at Penn State
Carine Kelley always knew she wanted to attend college to pursue her dream of working for the FBI, but as a former ward of the state of Florida, she faced challenges not shared by many other college-bound students.
“I became a ward of the state when I was 14, after my dad passed away,” Kelley said…
Professor named to governor's Council on Reform to aid vulnerable populations
Jennie Noll, director of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and professor of human development and family studies, is one of 25 individuals across the commonwealth to be appointed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s Council on Reform, which is designed to help protect vulnerable populations in…
Researchers analyze use of social media during Puerto Rican uprising
When the people of Puerto Rico took to the streets after a series of government corruption scandals this past July, a group of researchers took the opportunity to determine the role of social media in the organization and dissemination of the protests, marches and other activities that occurred.…
Marijuana may boost risky effects of drinking alcohol
As the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use are both on the rise in the United States, people are not necessarily using alcohol less and may be unaware of the risks of combining alcohol and marijuana, according to researchers.
A new study from Penn State found that compared to people…
New studies challenge the claim that black students are sent to special ed too much
Column by Jill Barshay
Decades of research have documented that students of color, particularly black children, are disproportionately classified by schools as having disabilities. In 2016, 12 percent of black children across the nation received services at school for disabilities ranging from…
Fall schedule for biostatistics seminars now available
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute announces its Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) Research Methods Seminar Series schedule for the fall semester. The series features lectures on fundamental research methods in the fall semester, with more advanced topics…
NSF grant to fund research on brain activity and scientific creative thinking
Roger Beaty, assistant professor of psychology and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab in the Penn State Department of Psychology, has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) along with co-investigators from two other institutions to collaborate…
Registration open for seminar on underrepresented population recruitment
A seminar titled “Recruiting Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Trials” will be presented at the next installment of the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute's Bench to Bedside and Beyond Seminar Series from noon to 1 p.m. on Aug. 20.
In addition to being held in Room H4504…
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…