Podcast episode explores how the Census impacts public health
Decisions about where to build hospitals and how to allocate emergency medical equipment are critical during a pandemic, and driven by a source you might not expect. This week’s episode of the Democracy Works podcast, produced by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and WPSU, examines the role…
PPN Brief on COVID19 and the aging population in PA
New from the Pennsylvania Population Network (PPN) is the PPN Brief "COVID19 & The Commonwealth: Vulnerable Populations in Pennsylvania: Aging". Key findings include:
Median Age of PA is 40.7 with 23.7% of the state being 60 Plus
11 counties report having zero ICU beds, seven of which are…
Applied Demography Special Issue on COVID1-19
The work of applied demographers and population research scientists addressing the COVID1-19 pandemic is the focus a special issue of Applied Demography, the official publication of the Population Association of America. The editorial was written by SSRI cofunded faculty member Alexis Santos, while…
Achievement gaps may explain racial overrepresentation in special education
U.S. school districts may be flagged as over-identifying students of color as having disabilities when other factors, such as achievement gaps, may explain these disparities, according to new Penn State research published in Exceptional Children.
Federal legislation and regulations require U.S.…
Family Symposium book series releases latest edition
The most recent volume in the National Symposium on Family Issues book series, “Rural Families and Communities in the United States” is now available from Springer Publishing. This volume specifically focuses on the implications of rural residency for American families, especially minority families…
Underlying factors affect children's early reading and math achievement
Underlying individual and environmental factors may better explain inter-relations between children’s early reading and mathematics achievement, according to new research that fails to support prior work suggesting that increasing children’s math skills might help increase their reading skills.…
Making School Choice More Equitable in an Era of Rising Inequality by Erica Frankenberg
By Erica Frankenberg for the Equity Alliance Blog
In April 2019, the Education and Labor Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing about the legacy of school integration efforts and the federal government’s role 65 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision that…
Many US preschoolers remain racially segregated at school
Young children can benefit greatly from exposure to racial and ethnic diversity during a crucial formative period in their lives, according to a Penn State education professor. However, recent research indicates that a high degree of segregation in American preschools could be hindering students…
PRI Computer Core offering data services
The PRI Computer Core is now offering a data archival service. If you have large amounts of data you'd like to preserve for historical or academic purposes, the Computer Core can burn them to DVD (5GB) or blu-ray (25+GB) long-term data storage media for you. These long-term storage media outlast…
Population Research Institute co-founder receives international accolade
By Susan Burlingame, Penn State News, January 23, 2020
Gordon DeJong, distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and demography and co-founder of the Population Research Institute at Penn State, has been named the 30th laureate of the International Union of the Scientific Study of Population (…
Frankenberg rises in ranking of public influencers on education
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership) and demography, director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights, and an associate in the University's Population Research Institute, jumped 76 places to rank 87th in this year's Rick Hess Straight Up (RHSU) Edu-Scholar Public…
New open access policy expands public accessibility of Penn State research
Penn State has joined a growing list of major research universities to enact an open access policy to expand the public availability and accessibility of its research.
The new open access policy took effect on Jan. 1 and applies to all University researchers, including faculty and staff, University…
Eliminating Smoking and Obesity Could Shrink U.S. Health Disparities, But Where People Live Matters Too
Smoking and obesity are the two leading causes of preventable death, disability, and chronic disease in the United States. New research shows that eliminating them could go a long way in reducing racial health gaps. But location also plays a key role in health disparities, with neighborhood setting…
Morgan's research cited in report on using science and policy to advance health
Paul Morgan, director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research and PRI affiliate, and his research team's finding on disparities in disability identification are repeatedly cited in Vibrant and Healthy Kids, the new National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report on using…
Summer Institute in Migration Research Methods application deadline February 10
The UC Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative is delighted to host the 3rd annual Summer Institute in Migration Research Methods (SIMRM), to be held at the University of California, Berkeley campus from May 26-June 5, 2020. The Institute is organized and directed by Irene Bloemraad (UCB)…
Role of universities examined in disaster-preparedness, response and recovery
Roughly 400 researchers and educators from more than 114 institutions across the nation recently joined together to explore how higher education can strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery in the face of growing threats posed by climate change and extreme weather.
The “RISE CONFERENCE 2019…
Mood of the Nation Poll examines gun control as case reaches Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s decision on a New York City gun regulation could mean the first significant judicial action on gun reform in nearly a decade — at a time when the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s Mood of the Nation Poll finds that a majority of Americans support stricter regulations for gun…
SSRI Fall Gathering 2019
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 “Above and Beyond Award” was given to Avery Urusow from the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness. Diane…
Progressive gender views may protect health of financially dependent men
As it becomes more common for women to be the breadwinner of their family, men’s health may be affected depending on their views on gender ideology, according to Penn State researchers.
The researchers found that men who were financially dependent on their wives and who also had more traditional…
NIH Requests Public Comment on a Draft Policy for Data Management and Sharing and Supplemental Draft Guidance
NIH recently released a Draft NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing and supplemental draft guidance for public comment. The purpose of this draft policy and supplemental draft guidance is to promote effective and efficient data management and sharing that furthers NIH’s commitment to making…
Conference explores role of institutions of higher education in extreme weather
As the number of extreme weather events associated to climate change continues to grow world-wide, it is becoming increasingly important that institutions of higher education reflect on their role both before and after catastrophic events.
The “RISE CONFERENCE 2019: Transforming University…
Professor awarded NSF grant for research in water security in Kenya
Asher Rosinger, assistant professor of biobehavioral health and anthropology and Ann Hertzler Early Career Professor in Global Health, was recently awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant allowing him to further his research in water and its impact on health and well-being.
Rosinger and…
Registration open for a seminar on building community collaborations
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute presents “Building Effective Community Collaborations” at its next Bench to Bedside and Beyond Seminar Series from noon to 1 p.m. on Nov. 21.
In addition to being held at 116 Henderson at the University Park campus, the session will be…
New project to track post-prison trajectories of men living with addiction
Despite widespread national attention, the opioid epidemic and larger problems of substance use and misuse continue to deeply affect communities across Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. The impact of the opioid crisis and other substance abuse problems hits even harder for people grappling…
Short to deliver De Jong Lecture in Social Demography on Nov. 21
Susan Short, professor of sociology and director of the Population Studies and Training Center at Brown University, will deliver the 14th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography at 9 a.m. Nov. 21 at the Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus.
Short’s research focuses on…