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 of…
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 documentation…
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 for her publication, “When…
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 family…
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…
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…
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 expanding…
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,”…
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…
Four Penn State Liberal Arts faculty members receive Fulbright Scholar Awards
Four College of the Liberal Arts faculty members recently received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2023-24 academic year: Gary Adler Jr.,associate professor of sociology; Jennifer E. Glick, associate director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Arnold S. and Bette G. Hoffman…
Weather-triggered asthma topic of Department of Geography 'Coffee Hour' talk
Luke Smith, assistant research professor and environmental epidemiologist at Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute, will discuss "Thunderstorms, Pollen and Severe Asthma in Minnesota 2007-18: Combining Data," at the Department of Geography's Coffee Hour lecture series. His talk will be…
SSRI Welcomes New Associate Directors Frankenberg and Thompson
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State recently announced the addition of two new associate directors: Cheryl Thompson and Erica Frankenberg.
Thompson is a professor in the department of public health sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine, the…
Frankenberg discusses racial segregation in schools on new podcast
Erica Frankenberg, SSRI associate director and professor of education and demography, was featured in a Policy in Brief podcast that examined ‘Segregation in our Schools.’
In this podcast, Frankenberg discusses the racial segregation that marginalized students have faced over the past few decades…
Seed grants fund research collaborations with minority-serving institutions
The first awardees of Penn State’s new Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research (IDPR) initiative have been selected, comprising a total of 16 collaborative projects that connect Penn State researchers with colleagues from minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
The IPDR program,…
Penn State Family Symposium to focus on immigrant families
The 31st Annual National Symposium on Family Issues, being held Oct. 23 - Oct. 24 virtually and in person in 233B HUB-Robeson Center, will focus on immigrant family research and the effects of public policies and practices on this demographic.
The first session, “How immigration admission and…
SSRI Open House series kicks off on Oct. 2
Penn State's Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) will be hosting an Open House brainstorming session, “Building Resources for Social and Behavioral Science Research Using Smart Devices and Digital Platforms,” on Oct. 2, noon - 1:00 p.m. in 110 Henderson Building.
This Open House features…
SSRI Open House on Data Resources Hub
Penn State's Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) will be hosting an Open House on the new SSRI Data Resources Hub in 114 Henderson Building, on Oct. 16, noon - 1 p.m.
Join Jason Shumberger, SSRI special projects manager, and Joe Broniszewski, SSRI IT director, as they go over the pilot year…
A Turning Point for the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the United States
By Jennifer Van Hook, Julia Gelatt and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Approximately 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States in 2021, up from 11.0 million in 2019, according to new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates. This represents larger annual growth in the unauthorized…
Lecture to explore how demography influences environmental research and policies
Penn State’s 18th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography, “Reflections on Necessary, Next Generation Population & Environment Research Agendas,” will be presented by Sara Curran on Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the HUB Robeson Center room 233 B and virtually.
Curran is a professor of…
Amish found to be under-vaccinated for COVID-19 but not unvaccinated
This summer, viral misinformation claimed that the Amish did not vaccinate against COVID-19 and, as a result, had a death rate 90 times lower than the rest of the United States. Now, a Penn State study is the first to provide geographically broad and population-wide evidence that while the Amish-…
CHEER team launches the Community Partner Toolkit
The community-facing toolkit is designed to educate learners about the importance of community-engaged research
The Community Health Equity & Engagement in Research (CHEER) Team has launched a community-facing toolkit for researchers to share with their community partners! The Community Partner…
Almeida Earns GSA’s 2023 Robert W. Kleemeier Award
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, as the 2023 recipient of the Robert W. Kleemeier Award.
This distinguished…
SSRI Welcomes Three New Co-Funded Faculty Members
The Social Science Research Institute welcomes three new co-funded faculty members to Penn State:
Cleothia Frazier, asistant professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts. Frazier completed her Ph.D. in sociology at Vanderbilt University and MPH at Michigan State University. Prior to…
Federal-local immigration enforcement policies designed to reduce crime found to raise victimization among Latinos Peer-Reviewed Publication
Efforts to understand the effects of immigration enforcement on crime have largely been informed by police crime statistics. In a new study, researchers used longitudinal data from the U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to assess the impact of federal immigration policies on local…