Researchers awarded for translating research into evidence-based policymaking
Jun 5, 2019
The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) recently recognized two Penn State researchers for their significant impacts in the field of prevention science, at its annual meeting in San Francisco.Max Crowley, assistant professor of human development and family studies and director of the Social…
For many, friends and family, not doctors, serve as a gateway to opioid misuse
Jun 4, 2019
In a common narrative of the path to opioid misuse, people become addicted to painkillers after a doctor prescribed them pills to treat an injury and then, later, switch to harder drugs, such as heroin. However, nonmedical opioid users were more likely to say they began abusing opioids after…
All of Us Journey tour to visit Hershey area
Jun 3, 2019
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Penn State Cancer Institute will host the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Journey, a traveling, hands-on informational exhibit to raise awareness about the All of Us Research Program - an ambitious effort to gather data from 1…
Jensen co-authors chapter in Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations
May 30, 2019
Leif Jensen, associate director of SSRI and distinguished professor of rural sociology and demography, co-authored a chapter in Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations edited by Carolyn Sachs, professor emerita of rural sociology. Jensen and other authors wrote the section titled 14…
Penn State participates in Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
May 22, 2019
Penn State researchers recently attended the Consortium of Social Science Association’s (COSSA) 2019 Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., taking part in a full schedule of events to bring awareness to social and behavioral sciences.During the advocacy day, COSSA members met with…
U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump
May 22, 2019
The U.S. birthrate fell again in 2018, to 3,788,235 births — representing a 2% drop from 2017. It's the lowest number of births in 32 years, according to a new federal report. The numbers also sank the U.S. fertility rate to a record low.Not since 1986 has the U.S. seen so few babies born. And it'…
Penn State, Monash University joint collaboration announces call for proposals
May 20, 2019
The partnership between Penn State and Monash University in Australia began just over a year ago, and yet it seems as if the two have been working together for much longer.“It’s a great example of two universities with similar goals and energy figuring out ways to work together,” says Alexandra…
'A Conference on the Study of Lives through Time' to be held at Penn State
May 20, 2019
The Center for Life Course and Longitudinal Studies (C2LS) will host “It’s About Time: A Conference on the Study of Lives through Time,” on Wednesday-Thursday, May 29-30, at the Penn Stater Conference Center on the University Park campus.All those who are interested are welcome to attend.…
Why communicate social sciences?
May 16, 2019
Bringing attention to and communicating the social sciences effectively is just as important as the research and findings scientists work so diligently to uncover. This is the message Alan Leshner, CEO Emeritus of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), relayed to the…
Study: Friends, family are most common gateway to addiction, not doctors
May 15, 2019
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The often-told story of the prescription for an opioid that launches the patient down the road to ruin is not the typical tale of heroin addiction, according to a new report by researchers from Penn State and other universities. More common, according to the…
Share Your Opioid Story: A Community Conversation at Schlow Library on May 30
May 15, 2019
The Share Your Opioid Story initiative is hosting a Community Conversation at the Schlow Centre Region Library in State College to tell the stories behind the statistics of the opioid crisis. This community event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the Downsbrough Community Room. To…
Change for ITS sponsored accounts
May 15, 2019
There is no longer a charge for ITS sponsored accounts. If email (o365) is requested for the person on the sponsored account they are charged for that. These accounts are typically used by researchers who have non-Penn State collaborators or former graduate students to access the Penn State VPN.
New research details increasing segregation in a transformed school population
May 13, 2019
As the nation prepares to mark the 65th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional, the UCLA Civil Rights Project and the Penn State Center for Education and Civil Rights today (May 10) published new research detailing…
Project on rural communities benefits from collaboration with Highmark Health
May 9, 2019
A project to better understand the issues facing rural communities and address a decline in American life expectancy is benefiting from a partnership between Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Highmark Health Enterprise Analytics Data Science Research. The Data Science…
Sending a 'We Are!' to these Penn Staters
May 7, 2019
As part of our regular "We Are!" feature, we recognize four Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what's asked of them in their work at the University. Do you know someone who deserves a shout-out? If you do, consider taking a minute to nominate that person by filling out a short online form…
Conference, podcast examine school segregation 65 years after Brown decision
May 6, 2019
In the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that integrated public education was an important part of a democratic society and the "very foundation of good citizenship." Integrated schools, the court argued, would expose children to new cultures and…
First annual conference to address substance misuse held at Penn State
May 3, 2019
Pennsylvania is in the midst of a full-fledged, substance misuse epidemic, with one out of every four families encountering this issue. Penn State is combating the crisis by drawing upon the expertise of researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers, who gathered recently for the…
DeJong Discusses 50 years with the State College Choral Society
May 3, 2019
Gordon DeJong, co-founder of the Population Research Institute and a distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and demography, is celebrating 50 years with the State College Choral Society. He has served on the organization’s board for eight years and has established the DeJong Oratorio…
Sleep and exercise affect new moms differently than new dads
May 2, 2019
Sleep and exercise are vital to the wellbeing of new parents, but these essentials affect new moms differently than new dads, according to researchers.In a study looking at the daily lives of new parents, a team led by Penn State researchers found that in general, getting more physical activity…
New project to study link between sleep and cognitive decline
May 1, 2019
The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to triple by 2050. A $3 million grant from the National Institute of Aging (NIA) will fund Penn State researchers to study the relationship between sleep and cognitive decline and impairment.The project will build upon the…
Just 16 minutes of sleep loss can harm work concentration the next day
Apr 30, 2019
This article was co-written by Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health, and David Almeida, professor of human development, for The Conversation.Have you had a less-than-stellar performance review lately? Do you daydream, or are you making bad decisions?
It might not be about your job but…
Health behavior and social science data among projects winning strategic support
Apr 30, 2019
Initiatives that include studying the sustainable management of forests using Penn State forestland as a living laboratory; developing professional development and instructional tools for educators to teach difficult historical and social subjects; and a summer program designed to prepare students…
$1.2 million NSF grant funds interdisciplinary Child Study Center project
Apr 24, 2019
“STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] skills have not been a priority in early childhood education,” said Evan Pugh University Professor Karen Bierman, director of the Penn State Child Study Center housed in the Department of Psychology in the College of the Liberal Arts. “…
Accomplishments of the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Apr 24, 2019
For a number of years, OBSSR has made available a fact sheet that lists some key accomplishments of health-related behavioral and social sciences research. That fact sheet, developed in 2013, is becoming dated and is a short list of only a few key accomplishments resulting from behavioral and…
Why Social Science? - Because It Helps to Address Graduate Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa
Apr 23, 2019
By Joseph K. Assan, PhD, Assistant Professor of International Political Economy of Sustainable Development, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis UniversitySocial scientists are actively involved in working with government officials, academics, the private sector, NGOs and…