mHealth Challenge encourages undergraduate innovation, engagement
This fall, undergraduate students are working together in cross-college teams to develop original mobile health prototypes that address societal health needs associated with specific target audiences. This year’s teams are developing apps to lessen the stress of pediatric hospital patients, ensure…
Schmitt Russell Research Lecture to focus on health and education interventions
Linda Collins, director of the Methodology Center, will present the 2018 Pauline Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, "Bringing Health and Education Interventions into the 21st Century,” at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the Bennett Pierce Living Center on University Park campus.
The event…
Shorter sleep can lead to dehydration
Adults who sleep just six hours per night — as opposed to eight — may have a higher chance of being dehydrated, according to a study by Penn State.
These findings suggest that those who don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep may want to consider dehydration — not simply poor sleep — as a…
Why is working memory so important to learning?
The National Science Foundation is spotlighting CEDR Director and PRI Affiliate Paul Morgan's recent research on working memory in their "Ask a Scientist" series.
A better way to evaluate health interventions
There’s a better way to evaluate the effectiveness of health interventions. It can help make health interventions not only effective, but scalable, affordable and less complex. When testing an intervention that is trying to modify health attitudes or behaviors — like a smoking cessation program —…
Fourth cycle of proposals sought for strategic initiative seed grant funding
Penn State community members, including faculty, staff and students, are invited to submit ideas for pilot projects that are aimed at supporting the University’s Strategic Plan to advance innovation, research, learning and engagement at the University and beyond. Proposals for the fourth cycle of…
Fall 2018 Scholarly Communications Workshops offered by University Libraries
This November, students, faculty and staff can participate in communications workshops that cover topics such as copyright, publishing, and National Science Foundation public access policy. The workshops, which will take place Nov. 1-15, are coordinated and led by Ana Enriquez, scholarly…
Sifting through 50 million phone calls for patterns to aid refugees
When refugees use their mobile phones they leave clues about how well they are integrating (or not) into their host country. Clio Andris, assistant professor of geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is analyzing a year’s worth of phone calls to find the clues to help address the…
Family Symposium book series releases latest edition
The most recent volume in the Family Symposium book series is now available from Springer Publishing. “Families and Technology” focuses on the roles of parents in monitoring children’s screen time, of technology in relationship formation, and technology in changing family dynamics.
The book is…
Dyslexia gene may predict concussion susceptibility among football players
A gene associated with the learning disorder dyslexia may offer researchers clues about variations in individual athletes’ susceptibility to concussions, according to a pilot study by Penn State and Northwestern University.
The results were published in the Journal of Neurotrauma on…
Courier service to Hershey for research/bio transport
University Park/Hershey Shuttle and Courier Rules
The purpose of these shuttle rules is to maintain the safety of shuttle drivers, passengers, the public and the environment. Information on the courier service is provided to comply with federal regulations related to the shipment of hazardous…
Vice President for Research Neil Sharkey to retire in June 2019
Neil Sharkey, vice president for research at Penn State, has announced that he will retire on June 30, 2019, after a 22-year career at the University. A national search will begin immediately to identify his successor.
Sharkey has led Penn State’s research enterprise since August 2013, initially as…
Applications sought for 2019-20 Administrative Fellows Program
Applications are being sought for the Administrative Fellows Program for 2019-20. The program offers Penn State faculty and staff who hold standing positions the opportunity to work with senior University officers to gain knowledge and experiences pertaining to the challenges of leadership in the…
Challenges Facing Rural America Deeply Rooted In Economic And Social Distress, Researchers Say
By Min Xian, WPSU
Nearly three and a half million Pennsylvanians live in rural parts of the state. In many ways, rural areas face challenges different than those in urban areas. Researchers gathered on Monday for the 26th National Symposium on Family Issues at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Inn, with a…
Penn State response to new NSF and NIH requirements
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have recently taken steps to promote the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff to maintain productive research and educational environments.
NSF has announced that all institutions receiving NSF funds…
Bringing Americans together on the issue of affordable housing
A lack of affordable housing is linked with many health problems, including asthma, stress and alcoholism. Penn State researchers found that while some Americans may be less aware of this link, there may be ways to communicate this connection in a way that resonates with those groups.
The…
Does putting the brakes on outrage bottle up social change?
While outrage is often generally considered a hurdle in the path to civil discourse, a team of psychologists suggest outrage — specifically, moral outrage — may have beneficial outcomes, such as inspiring people to take part in long-term collective action.
In a literature review, the team, led by…
Why Social Science? - Because It Helps Build Resilience in the Face of Disasters
By Brandi Gilbert, Ph.D., Research Associate, Urban Institute & Nnenia Campbell, Ph.D., Research Associate, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
We are dedicated to using social science to improve disaster recovery for those on the margins of society—in particular on the…
SSRI Spotlight: Michael Donovan
As the Director of Policy & Outreach at Penn State’s Administrative Data Accelerator, Michael Donovan leads policy operations and facilitates collaborative projects between government partners and researchers to support the utilization of scholarly research in evidence-based policymaking.
At…
WPSU wins Mid-Atlantic Emmy
Penn State's WPSU took home the Emmy for Top Overall Excellence at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards on Oct. 13.
WPSU competed against television stations from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to take home three awards from the awards. The station also won awards for episodes 2 and 3 of “Finding Your…
Clinical and translational science training program welcomes seven scholars
Penn State graduate students with varied research interests including sudden infant death syndrome, aging, childhood obesity, health disparities and leukemia have started a year of training in clinical and translational sciences. The TL1 Predoctoral Training Program is a year-long…
Kids’ sleep may suffer from moms’ tight work schedules
It may be tough for working moms to get a good night’s sleep, but working tight hours may affect their children’s sleep, too.
After studying the sleep habits of children from ages five to nine, researchers found that when mothers reported less flexibility in their work schedules, their children got…
Sainburg receives grant renewal for stroke rehabilitation research
The National Institutes of Health recently renewed funding for Penn State researcher Robert Sainburg, which will allow him to begin testing his rehabilitation intervention in treating the “unaffected” hand in stroke patients. The first cycle of this grant funded a series of basic science…
Teams sought to develop innovative research programs using Twitter data
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is seeking teams to develop innovative research programs using Twitter data.
Proposals are invited for pilot projects aimed at using Twitter data in social science research. Twitter offers one of the most rapidly growing and accessible Big Data…
Mood of the Nation Poll finds one person's anger is another's pride
From Colin Kaepernick to Brett Kavanaugh, Americans appear to be sharply divided over the people who shape political life.
Those divides are evident in the latest McCourtney Institute Mood of the Nation Poll. The poll utilizes open-ended questions that allow participants to respond in…