Social Science Research Institute at Penn State

PPIRA Program contributes to reducing the Community Impacts of Substance Abuse | Social Science Research Institute Community Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines, a research project led by Jennifer Murphy, associate professor, Penn State Berks, and her team, is pleased to share the remarkable progress…

PSU's Presidential Public Impact Research Award (PPIRA) Program contributes to reducing the community impacts of substance use through the Community Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines, a research project led by Jennifer Murphy at PSU Berks & her team. ➡️

Award Program Supports Community-oriented Research for the Public Good | Social Science Research Institute Enhancing Cybersecurity Readiness in Non-Profit Organizations Through Collaborative Research and Innovation, a research initiative led by Maryam Roshanaei, assistant professor at Penn State Abington,…

PSU's Presidential Public Impact Research Award (PPIRA) Program supports community-oriented research. Enhancing Cybersecurity Readiness in Non-Profit Organizations Through Collaborative Research and Innovation is a PPIRA initiative led by Maryam Roshanaei at PSU Abington. ➡️ buff.ly/COC0ffQ

SSRI News - July 28, 2025 External Opportunities

In this week's bi-weekly newsletter:
✨ SSRI Fall Welcome on September 16th from 3-5pm
✨ SSRI Welcomes New Associate Director, Orfeu Buxton
✨ Q&A on publicly funded health programs
✨ New research brief examines rural-suburban-urban differences among caregivers
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Q&A: Understanding cost and benefit for publicly funded health programs | Social Science Research Institute Recent laws instituted in the United States substantially cut funding to many government programs, especially those related to health or social well-being.

Dennis Scalon, distinguished professor health policy and administration at Penn State, recently gave a Q&A about understanding the cost & benefit for publicly funded health programs. Read On ➡️

SSRI Welcomes New Associate Director | Social Science Research Institute The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State announces the addition of a new associate director, Orfeu M. Buxton.

SSRI is pleased to announce that Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health & SSRI cofunded faculty member, has joined us as a new SSRI associate director. Buxton will contribute to SSRI's leadership by helping to support collaborative research & develop strategic initiatives. ➡️

Rural-Suburban-Urban Differences in Caregiving in the Northeast U.S. Region - Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Enhancing the capacity of Land Grant Universities to foster regional prosperity and rural development.

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) has published a fourth brief in its caregiving research brief series. The brief describes the caregiving experience for rural, suburban & urban caregivers in the Northeast region of the US. Full brief ➡️

Conference on political divisions draws international presenters | Social Science Research Institute Scholars from around the globe recently attended Penn State’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making conference on political polarization and moral decision-making.

The hybrid, interdisciplinary Political Divisions conference that @dcameron.bsky.social hosted through the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making in April was a successful event that brought together scholars from around the world. ➡️

Federal science cuts threaten our natural resources | Social Science Research Institute By Anne Pisor for The Times-Tribune

@annepisor.bsky.social penned an op-ed about federal #science cuts & how they threaten natural resources for the Times-Tribune. Read On ➡️

SSRI News - July 14, 2025 Conference on political divisions draws international presenters Scholars from around the globe recently attended Penn State’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making conference on political polarization…

Missed our newsletter? Here's some highlights: Danilo Antonio Contreras has joined as the SSRI assistant director, @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social awarded the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network a new grant, @annepisor.bsky.social penned an op-ed about federal science cuts & more!

Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state The outcome of Pennsylvania’s retention elections in November could change the balance of power in Harrisburg.

I was asked to write on the PA judicial elections for @theconversation.com: Most Pennsylvania voters ignore judicial elections − a political scientist explains why they matter, especially in a battleground state theconversation.com/most-pennsyl...

Private tutoring linked to student disengagement, researchers find | Social Science Research Institute Private tutoring and supplemental learning are intended to enhance classroom learning, but new research led by a professor in the Penn State College of Education has revealed that it may actually…

New research from SSRI cofund & @psuedu.bsky.social faculty member, Soo-yong Byun, shows that private tutoring & supplemental learning may erode student engagement. Findings came from an analysis of South Korean elementary students but has global implications. ➡️

New grant supports postsecondary outcomes for youth in foster care | Social Science Research Institute Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) has been awarded a three-year, $650,000 Institutional Challenge Grant from the William T. Grant Foundation (WT Grant Foundation) to strengthen…

SSRI's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network & the PA Office of Child, Youth & Families were recently awarded the Institutional Challenge Grant from @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social. The funding will be used to focus on improving health & well-being outcomes for youth. ➡️

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State is pleased to welcome Danilo Antonio Contreras as its new assistant director.

Read more ➡️ buff.ly/7SWBJce

"This month's "Why Social Science?" post comes from three participants from this year's Social Science Advocacy Day who reflected upon their advocacy experiences and the importance of advocating for the social sciences."

Learn more ➡️ buff.ly/aMQlvaU

"The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing has announced that the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth (SAFE-T) System has been named an "Edge Runner" by the American Academy of Nursing."

Read more ➡️ buff.ly/dzEp6I4

Early brain and child development study data now available

Read more ➡️ buff.ly/nq7ITuf

Stay in the know with everything happening across the Social Science Research Institute. This issue features updates on new initiatives, research highlights, upcoming events, and spotlights on the incredible work being done across our network.

Read our newsletter here ➡️ buff.ly/kqfdRMr

Research or Regress Penn State research turns bold ideas into real impact—improving lives, growing industries, and solving urgent challenges.

Penn State has started "Research or Regress" to highlight the value and impact of scientific research. It's vital that we talk to the public about our work.

Learn More ➡️

David Puts, professor of anthropology at Penn State and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member, was recently elected president of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society.
➡️ buff.ly/htaiSNb

PSU's Institute for Computational & Data Sciences is accepting proposals for a new program that will provide faculty members w/ the opportunities to learn new skills & make use of available resources in the artificial intelligence (AI) & quantum sciences.
➡️ buff.ly/Lavopve

Effects of a shared activities parenting intervention on weight outcomes in middle childhood: An exploratory study General parenting interventions without an explicit focus on weight-related constructs have demonstrated lasting effects on child weight outcomes. How…

Rina D. Eiden was part of an exploratory study that looked at the effects of Play With Me, an at-home play-based parenting intervention, on weight outcomes in middle childhood. tinyurl.com/3bhy3ewp

SSRI's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) has awarded funding to support six projects through its University-sponsored endowment. The projects reflect the commitment to advancing research that can strengthen supports for children & families & improve long-term well-being.
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Annual substance use conference examines psychiatric and opioid use disorders | Social Science Research Institute UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) hosted the sixth annual conference in May at the the Eric J. Barron Innovation…

The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) hosted the sixth annual conference in May at the the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at Penn State University Park.
Read On ➡️

Preschool intervention linked to high school performance | Social Science Research Institute Low-income students who received a preschool intervention focused on social-emotional development continued to benefit from it during their teen years according to a recent study published in the…

According to a recent study led by Karen Bierman, low-income students who received a preschool intervention focused on social-emotional development continued to benefit from it during their teen years.
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SSRI News - June 16, 2025 The silent struggles of post-9/11 veterans Researcher at SSRI’s Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness found post-9/11 veterans are at an increased risk of suicide due to a sense of isolation…

Missed our newsletter? Check out the latest research news & opportunities from SSRI!
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Peer review training opportunity! 👇

The silent struggles of post-9/11 veterans | Social Science Research Institute Post-9/11 veterans often face visible challenges like finding gainful employment or recovering from physical injuries, but some of their struggles are invisible. Veterans may carry a sense of…

According to a new study by researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, post-9/11 veterans often face visible challenges like finding gainful employment or recovering from physical injuries, but some of their struggles are invisible.
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Penn State Neuroscience Institute Expands Access to Groundbreaking Mental Health Registry | Social Science Research Institute Penn State has expanded access to a powerful clinical registry of mental health data, the Penn State Clinical Assessment and Rating Evaluation System (PCARES), to investigators at the University Park…

Penn State has expanded access to a powerful clinical registry of mental health data, the Penn State Clinical Assessment and Rating Evaluation System (PCARES), to investigators at the University Park campus through the Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI).
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Chronic loneliness may harm cognitive health in young adults | Social Science Research Institute Young and middle-aged adults who live with chronic loneliness may be at risk for early cognitive decline, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State Department of Human Development and…

In a study published in BMC Public Health, researchers led by Jee eun Kang, postdoctoral scholar in the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging, demonstrated that young and middle-aged adults with chronic #loneliness did not show improvements on cognitive assessments.
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Link between loneliness, heart disease persists across different cultures | Social Science Research Institute Over the past few decades, researchers have repeatedly identified loneliness as a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, most of this research has focused on…

In a new study led by Harold Lee, assistant professor of biobehavioral health, researchers found that the link between #loneliness and #cardiovascular disease appears to exist beyond cultural and social norms. This work was supported by the #NationalInstituteOnAging.
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