Helping non-clinical staff identify problematic sexual behaviors among children
Identifying unusual and potentially harmful behaviors in children is vital to providing appropriate interventions, according to Penn State researchers. A Penn State research team partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to develop an easy-to-use tool to help non-clinically trained staff…
Next steps for implementing the TikTok ban
As many of you may have heard, the US Government issued restrictions on use of TikTok in June 2023. These prohibitions will be implemented at Penn State as a condition of accepting new Federal contracts. Please note that these prohibitions will not affect everyone at Penn State, but they will…
SAFE-T System receives the Pennsylvania Rural Health Program of the Year Award
Penn State’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth (SAFE-T) System recently received the 2023 Pennsylvania Rural Health Program of the Year Award for its person-centered, evidence-based and trauma-informed forensic care for victims of sexual assault across the commonwealth.
The…
New demographic analysis of school-age population projects increased diversity and lessened social and cultural differences
Demography may not, as the famed French philosopher Auguste Comte once wrote, “be destiny,” but two new analyses, a demographic simulation of the school-age population of the United States and a projection of the racially-identified American Indian and Alaska Native population to 2050, make clear…
Family Symposium book published
Following Penn State’s 2022 National Symposium on Family Issues, Springer published the latest installment in the symposium book series, "Family Socialization, Race, and Inequality in the United States”.
Dawn Witherspoon, professor of psychology, Susan McHale, distinguished emeritus professor…
Social Science Research Institute launches climate, society, health initiative
A new Penn State initiative will focus on climate change and how extreme weather events impact human health, especially in underserved populations across the globe.
The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Climate, Society and Health Initiative aims to help research move beyond…
Newly identified biomarkers may detect early cognitive decline via blood test
For some people, extreme stressors like psychiatric disorders or childhood neglect and abuse can lead to a range of health problems later in life, including depression, anxiety and cardiovascular disease. A new study led by researchers in the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging identified…
Brant receives Roy C. Buck Award
Kristina Brant, assistant professor of rural sociology and SSRI cofund, received the Roy C. Buck Award at the College of Agricultural Sciences' 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.
Brant was honored…
Immigrant families focus of recent national symposium
The 31st Annual National Symposium on Family Issues recently was held at Penn State’s University Park campus and focused on how immigration policies impact the rapidly growing migrant family demographic.
“Twenty-six percent of all children living in the United States live with an immigrant…
Anemia in children in foster care connected to other diagnoses, researchers find
Children in or adopted from the Pennsylvania foster care system with anemia may have greater odds of certain developmental and behavioral diagnoses according to a newly published study from Penn State researchers. This study, available in PLOS ONE, is the first to examine such a relationship…
Education professor receives Civil Rights Data Science Impact Fellowship
Maithreyi Gopalan, assistant professor of education and public policy and Social Science Research Instituteco-funded faculty member at Penn State, was recently awarded the Civil Rights Data Science Impact Fellowship.
Gopalan is the first fellow in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil…
Debunking the myth of steady male employment
Steady employment has long been the assumed standard associated with the American man, especially by the baby boomer generation. New research is pushing back on the archetype and shedding light on the potential consequences of upholding the “breadwinner” ideology in a labor market in which reality…
Q&A: Can virtual reality help people eat a healthier diet?
With heart disease and diabetes — which can be caused or worsened by poor diet — among the leading causes of death and illness for adults in the United States, researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development are studying influences on human eating behavior.
There is…
Workplace flexibility associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Increasing workplace flexibility may lower employees’ risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study led by researchers from Penn State and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In workplaces that implemented interventions designed to reduce conflict between employees’ work and their…
Youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems conference held
Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Conference on supporting crossover youth involved with child welfare and juvenile court systems was recently held at Penn State’s University Park campus in the Hintz Alumni Family Center.
The day-long conference showcased national…
Social Science Research Institute extends faculty fellows submission deadline
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) has extended the submission deadline for its 2024-25 Mentored Early Career Faculty Fellows Program to Dec. 1.
The Faculty Fellows program supports tenure line faculty at all Penn State campuses at the rank of assistant professor who are…
A Conceptual Framework for Optimizing the Equity of Hospital-Based Emergency Care: The Structure of Hospital Transfer Networks
By Charleen Hsuan, PhD; Brandan Carr, PhD; David Vanness, PhD; Yinan Wang, PhD; Douglas Leslie, PhD; Eleanor Dunham, PhD; Jeannette Rogowski, PhD
Emergency care includes two key components: initial stabilization and transfer to a higher level of care. Significant work has…
SSRI funding open to all Penn State campuses
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute invites tenure-line faculty at all Penn State campuses to apply for its 2024-25 Mentored Early Career Faculty Fellows Program.
The Faculty Fellows program supports tenure line faculty at the rank of assistant professor who are interested in…
Survey Research Center awarded contract to collect Pennsylvania health data
Penn State’s Survey Research Center (SRC) was recently awarded a contract to become Pennsylvania’s sole collector of health-related data as part of a nationwide project.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (…
Kathleen Keller receives the Evan G. and Helen G. Pattishall Outstanding Research Achievement Award
SSRI cofund Kathleen Keller was recently awarded the Evan G. and Helen G. Pattishall Outstanding Research Achievement Award.
The award recognizes research contributions occurring or culminating within the past several years and is endowed by Evan Pattishall, dean emeritus, of the former College of…
SSRI sponsors new UNDOCU storytelling seminar series
The UNDOCU storytelling seminar series is chaired by a committee of Penn State graduate students and staff who either have a former undocumented status or come from mixed status families.
The first seminar was an information session moderated by Dean Romero, Lyana Sunbhanchang and…
David Almeida to receive Gerontological Society of America Kleemeier Award
David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Robert W. Kleemeier Award, awarded by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging.
The…
Podcast, book explore disagreements between social order and social justice
Why do we disagree about the causes of and solutions to social inequality? What explains our different viewpoints on Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, income inequality, and immigration?
Penn State professors John Iceland and Eric Silver, co-authors of the new book “Why We Disagree About Inequality,”…
Americans will spend half their lives taking prescription drugs, study finds
An American born in 2019 will spend a larger share of their lifetime taking prescription drugs than being married or receiving an education, according to new research by Jessica Ho, associate professor of sociology and demography at Penn State. She found that American males will spend approximately…
New project to focus on health impacts of climate change
The impacts of climate change on human health are likely to be significant and unavoidable, especially in underserved populations across the globe. A $574,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health will help support a new climate change and health research area in Penn State’s Population…