'Ask the Experts' addresses the opioid epidemic on cesarean sections
The latest episode in the “Ask the Experts” series features Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology, and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, discussing her research on the links between cesarean section…
Depression screening project benefits from Community Engagement Studios
Penn State College of Medicine’s Dr. Deepa Sekhar will partner with six urban Pennsylvania public high schools and involve more than 9,000 students in research to address the rise of depression and suicide in children. Sekhar’s team is studying use of a school-based screening for clinical…
Seed grants available in energy, environmental research
Penn State’s Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratories (EESL) announced a call for proposals for seed grant funding that will support energy and environmental research conducted in EESL facilities. The call is open to undergraduate and graduate students at any Penn State campus.
The…
Addiction medicine expert to give two presentations
Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., an international expert in addiction medicine, will give two presentations at Penn State College of Medicine on Dec. 18.
Brewer will present "The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Cupcakes to Smartphones, the Mechanisms Underlying How Mindfulness Helps Change Unhealthy…
The five types of problem drinking are more common at different ages
Alcohol abuse is more complicated than simply drinking too much. There may be five separate types of problem drinkers, according to Penn State researchers, and each one may be more common at different stages of life.
In a study, Penn State researchers discovered five distinct classes or “profiles”…
Rural American families focus of 26th annual family symposium
The strategies needed to maintain family economic stability, health and general well-being of rural families was the focus of the 26th Annual National Symposium on Family Issues, held recently at the Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus.
“The symposium brought together discussion…
A Systems Approach to Opioid Mitigation
Opioid and related substance abuse is devastating many communities across the country and has proven a particularly difficult problem to address. In this presentation, Griffin will discuss research being done at the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue University to help mitigate…
25 Years of Service
Cheri McConnell, education coordinator with the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, and Michael Rineer, manager of Network and Information Systems at SSRI, were recently awarded Penn State Mantel Clocks for their 25 years of service to the University.
For a complete listing of 25-Year Award…
Why Social Science? - Because Social Science Research and Education Are Critical for National Security
By Claudia Brugman, PhD, Research Scientist and Technical Director for Language in Social Systems, Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland
Each of the social sciences contributes irreplaceable content knowledge and methodologies to our collective understanding of other…
SSRI Fall Gathering 2018
Faculty and staff from all of SSRI's units recently gathered together at the Hintz Family Alumni Center to celebrate major accomplishments of the year and to announce staff awards.
The “Workplace Climate Promotion Award” was given to Renee Kotch from the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness…
Kindergarten predicts academic achievement across the primary grades
Identifying factors that predict academic difficulties during elementary school should help inform efforts to children who may be at risk. New Penn State research suggests that children’s executive functions may be a particularly important risk factor for such difficulties.
Preliminary findings…
Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse strategic hires
Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse will conduct a strategic hire of 12 new tenure-track faculty members over the next four years, including a national search for the position of Consortium Director. Read more here.
Wilkinson receives leadership in outreach award
SSRI co-fund Krista Wilkinson was recently received the Leadership in Outreach Scholarship Award at the College of Health and Human Development's 2018 Faculty and Staff Awards, sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society.
Wilkinson has been a faculty member in the…
Nominees sought for Rock Ethics Institute’s 2019 Stand Up Awards
The Rock Ethics Institute currently is accepting nominations for its 2019 Stand Up Awards.
First established in 2008, the annual Stand Up Awards recognize Penn State undergraduate students who have demonstrated ethical leadership by "standing up" for a cause, idea or belief. By honoring and…
Participants sought for nutrition study on strawberries
Healthy, non-smoking men and women are needed for a research study examining the effects of a freeze dried strawberry powder on LDL cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
We are seeking participants 35 - 65 years of age with a BMI of 25-39kg/m2. Subjects must be healthy and not…
New poll: Voters are just as angry as in 2016
By Eric Plutzer and Michael Berkman
Voters this fall aren’t just sharply polarized; they’re also very angry — whether they’re Democrats, Republicans or even independents.
In partnership with YouGov, Penn State’s McCourtney Institute of Democracy has been polling Americans to assess the overall mood…
Mobile technologies may help researchers crack the mysteries of aging
A National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will allow Penn State’s Martin Sliwinski and team to learn more about how small changes in the brain can develop into neurological conditions later in life by developing new standardized mobile technologies for researchers across the U.S.
This type of…
Harvard professor to present De Jong Lecture in Social Demography Nov. 15
Penn State’s 13th Annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography will be presented from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.
"The impact of workplace policies/practices and family composition: Can they explain inequalities in health,"…
Public comment requested on White House report to stem the opioid crisis
The White House National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is seeking public comment on the Draft Report of the Fast Track Action Committee (FTAC) on Health Science and Technology Response to the Opioid Crisis. Comments are requested by December 5, 2018 and may be submitted to OpioidsRoadmap@…
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…