Social Science Research Institute at Penn State
@ssripennstate.bsky.social
#PennState research institute that does #SocialScience.
Our mission is to foster research that addresses critical human and social problems at the local, national, and international levels.
Visit our website: https://ssri.psu.edu/
Our mission is to foster research that addresses critical human and social problems at the local, national, and international levels.
Visit our website: https://ssri.psu.edu/
Pinned
Welcome to SSRI's Bluesky account! Please check out our website to see what kind of work we do and subscribe to our newsletter for more information about events, opportunities, and research news. 👋 If you're a #PennState faculty member & do social science, please follow us!
SSRI cofund, Louisa Holmes, associate professor of geography & demography, was recently featured in this article published in the San Francisco Chronicle about how dispensaries are recommending #cannabis for pain & sleep with no evidence. ➡️
Dispensaries are recommending cannabis for pain and sleep — with no evidence, UCSF study finds | Social Science Research Institute
The work of SSRI cofund Louisa Holmes, associate professor of geography & demography, was recently featured in this article published in the San Francisco Chronicle.
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November 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
SSRI cofund, Louisa Holmes, associate professor of geography & demography, was recently featured in this article published in the San Francisco Chronicle about how dispensaries are recommending #cannabis for pain & sleep with no evidence. ➡️
Check out this Q&A with SSRI affiliate & associate professor of biobehavioral health & anthropology, Asher Rosinger, about how drinking tap water can reduce how many calories children drink from other beverages. ➡️
Q&A: Can drinking tap water reduce how many calories children drink? | Social Science Research Institute
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Drinking beverages sweetened with sugar can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, cavities, diabetes and other health problems. More than 20 years of public health campaigns…
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November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Check out this Q&A with SSRI affiliate & associate professor of biobehavioral health & anthropology, Asher Rosinger, about how drinking tap water can reduce how many calories children drink from other beverages. ➡️
ATTENTION ‼️ SSRI's next Open House, C-SoDA Part 1, on Mon. Dec. 1 will be hosted VIRTUALLY 💻 ONLY on Zoom. Cassandra Tai will introduce a high-level framework for evaluation generative AI (GenAI) in social science research through a structured Human-AI pipeline. Register now ➡️
SSRI Open House - C-SoDA Part 1 | Social Science Research Institute
"Toward Accountable AI: A Pipeline Framework for Evaluation Generative Models in Social Science"
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November 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
ATTENTION ‼️ SSRI's next Open House, C-SoDA Part 1, on Mon. Dec. 1 will be hosted VIRTUALLY 💻 ONLY on Zoom. Cassandra Tai will introduce a high-level framework for evaluation generative AI (GenAI) in social science research through a structured Human-AI pipeline. Register now ➡️
Congratulations to SSRI Research Operations Manager, Barbara Rigg, on her retirement from Penn State! Barbara retired with 35 years of service and worked in a variety of roles. Check out the gallery below from her retirement party. Thank you, Barbara! ➡️
Barbara Rigg retires from SSRI | Social Science Research Institute
SSRI Research Operations Manager Barbara Rigg recently retired after 35 years of service to Penn State. Barbara started at Penn State in 1991, working as a clerk accounting secretary in the Center…
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November 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Congratulations to SSRI Research Operations Manager, Barbara Rigg, on her retirement from Penn State! Barbara retired with 35 years of service and worked in a variety of roles. Check out the gallery below from her retirement party. Thank you, Barbara! ➡️
SSRI co-funded faculty member & asst. professor of rural sociology, Ryan Thombs, received the Roy C. Buck Award for his research paper, Do industrial decarbonization policies deliver? A global assessment of policy effectiveness across 150 nations, 1990-2020." buff.ly/aPopcsd
SSRI faculty recognized for research impact | Social Science Research Institute
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recognized exceptional achievements in research during its fourth annual Research Awards Ceremony held Oct. 28 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the…
ssri.psu.edu
November 20, 2025 at 3:03 PM
SSRI co-funded faculty member & asst. professor of rural sociology, Ryan Thombs, received the Roy C. Buck Award for his research paper, Do industrial decarbonization policies deliver? A global assessment of policy effectiveness across 150 nations, 1990-2020." buff.ly/aPopcsd
SSRI cofund & associate dean for research & outreach in the PSU College of Education, Karen P. Murphy, recently released a study about how small-group discussion approaches for 4th/5th graders will help transform student engagement. ➡️
Discussion approach improves comprehension for 4th, 5th graders, study finds | Social Science Research Institute
Small-group discussions designed to help elementary students engage in conversations that promote critical analytic thinking, reasoning and deeper understanding of the content they read increased…
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November 19, 2025 at 3:02 PM
SSRI cofund & associate dean for research & outreach in the PSU College of Education, Karen P. Murphy, recently released a study about how small-group discussion approaches for 4th/5th graders will help transform student engagement. ➡️
Sawsan Salah, a doctoral candidate in BBH & Lori Francis, director of SSRI's Community-Engaged Research, Action, & Partnerships (CERAP), recently investigated how cultural & linguistic barriers affected the pediatric care received by the roughly 3M children of immigrants.
Shared decision making with child’s physician less common for immigrant parents | Social Science Research Institute
For people who grew up in the United States, navigating health care can be complicated and intimidating, according to Sawsan Salah, a doctoral candidate in biobehavioral health at Penn State. Those…
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November 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Sawsan Salah, a doctoral candidate in BBH & Lori Francis, director of SSRI's Community-Engaged Research, Action, & Partnerships (CERAP), recently investigated how cultural & linguistic barriers affected the pediatric care received by the roughly 3M children of immigrants.
In this piece written for @us.theconversation.com, authors Halie Kampman, Brian King, SSRI Affiliate Glenn Sterner, SSRI cofund Kristina P. Brant, and Maya Weinberg explain how a Penn State research project is exploring how six PA counties are utilizing opioid settlement funds.
Pennsylvania counties face tough choices on spending $2B opioid settlement funds
Local governments have a lot of freedom on how to spend the funds, but there’s also confusion and a feeling of moral responsibility to spend wisely after so many lives have been lost.
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November 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In this piece written for @us.theconversation.com, authors Halie Kampman, Brian King, SSRI Affiliate Glenn Sterner, SSRI cofund Kristina P. Brant, and Maya Weinberg explain how a Penn State research project is exploring how six PA counties are utilizing opioid settlement funds.
Hello! Some of you may have heard that the Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg, where the majority of our staff work, has been closed due to a structural issue. We want to reassure you that everyone is okay, nobody was injured during the initial incident, & we're working on getting temporary space.
November 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Hello! Some of you may have heard that the Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg, where the majority of our staff work, has been closed due to a structural issue. We want to reassure you that everyone is okay, nobody was injured during the initial incident, & we're working on getting temporary space.
The College of Ag is hosting a Rural Sociology Seminar tomorrow Fri. Nov. 14 from 10-11am in 214 Ferguson Bldg. The talk will be hosted by John Green, director of the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University.
November 13, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The College of Ag is hosting a Rural Sociology Seminar tomorrow Fri. Nov. 14 from 10-11am in 214 Ferguson Bldg. The talk will be hosted by John Green, director of the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University.
Check it out! SSRI Affiliate Nonna Sorokina, assistant professor of business at Penn State Scranton, was recently featured in WalletHub's article "Best Comprehensive Car Insurance."
Sorokina featured in WalletHub's recent article | Social Science Research Institute
SSRI Affiliate Nonna Sorokina, assistant professor of business at Penn State Scranton, was recently featured in WalletHub's article "Best Comprehensive Car Insurance":
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November 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Check it out! SSRI Affiliate Nonna Sorokina, assistant professor of business at Penn State Scranton, was recently featured in WalletHub's article "Best Comprehensive Car Insurance."
Reposted by Social Science Research Institute at Penn State
We'll be having several more workshop presentations like this through the fall, for more about the Consortium check here, and email if you'd like to be in the loop:
moralconsortium.psu.edu
@psuliberalarts.bsky.social @rockethics.bsky.social @ssripennstate.bsky.social
#socialpsychology #psychscisky
moralconsortium.psu.edu
@psuliberalarts.bsky.social @rockethics.bsky.social @ssripennstate.bsky.social
#socialpsychology #psychscisky
Home - Consortium on Moral Decision-Making
Welcome to the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making A collaborative hub dedicated to unraveling the intricate threads of ethical choices. As a multidisciplinary alliance of scholars, thinkers, and prac...
moralconsortium.psu.edu
November 5, 2025 at 7:11 PM
We'll be having several more workshop presentations like this through the fall, for more about the Consortium check here, and email if you'd like to be in the loop:
moralconsortium.psu.edu
@psuliberalarts.bsky.social @rockethics.bsky.social @ssripennstate.bsky.social
#socialpsychology #psychscisky
moralconsortium.psu.edu
@psuliberalarts.bsky.social @rockethics.bsky.social @ssripennstate.bsky.social
#socialpsychology #psychscisky
On Fri. Nov 14 from 12pm-1pm, SSRI's newest unit, the Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) will host their inaugural monthly huddle, "Building Our Community of Practice." Register Now:
CERAP Inaugural Monthly Huddle: Building our Community of Practice | Social Science Research Institute
An opportunity to build relationships with others who are passionate about co-creating research with community members!
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November 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM
On Fri. Nov 14 from 12pm-1pm, SSRI's newest unit, the Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) will host their inaugural monthly huddle, "Building Our Community of Practice." Register Now:
Here's some newsletter highlights: SSRI's newest unit, CERAP, will be hosting a monthly huddle meeting; two PSU faculty were named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology, a new film highlights @dcameron.bsky.social's work, & new research on veterans' mental health.
SSRI News - Nov. 3, 2025
External Opportunities
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November 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Here's some newsletter highlights: SSRI's newest unit, CERAP, will be hosting a monthly huddle meeting; two PSU faculty were named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology, a new film highlights @dcameron.bsky.social's work, & new research on veterans' mental health.
A new study led by Christian Connell, director of SSRI's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network & professor of human development & family studies, says children who are mistreated at a young age are more likely to experience a wide range of developmental delays & health problems. ➡️
Child welfare system involvement may improve diagnosis of developmental delays | Social Science Research Institute
Children who are mistreated at a young age are more likely to experience a wide range of developmental delays and health problems, according to Christian Connell, Ken Young Family Professor in…
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October 31, 2025 at 2:03 PM
A new study led by Christian Connell, director of SSRI's Child Maltreatment Solutions Network & professor of human development & family studies, says children who are mistreated at a young age are more likely to experience a wide range of developmental delays & health problems. ➡️
Check out @dcameron.bsky.social 's, director of SSRI’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making, appearance in the film "Deep Dive: Face Value" by the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration with film maker Caitlin Bailey. ➡️
New film highlights researcher’s work on empathy | Social Science Research Institute
A new short film explores the unique challenge of connecting people with the deep sea to develop empathy for creatures rarely seen. Daryl Cameron, a Penn State researcher who studies empathy and…
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October 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Check out @dcameron.bsky.social 's, director of SSRI’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making, appearance in the film "Deep Dive: Face Value" by the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration with film maker Caitlin Bailey. ➡️
Reposted by Social Science Research Institute at Penn State
🚨Social scientists! @psuanthro.bsky.social & @ssripennstate.bsky.social are hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor exploring how social & ecological environments shape reproduction, growth, &/or development. Review starts soon! Please share widely! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...
Assistant Professor of Anthropology in Human Reproductive Ecology
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:41 PM
🚨Social scientists! @psuanthro.bsky.social & @ssripennstate.bsky.social are hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor exploring how social & ecological environments shape reproduction, growth, &/or development. Review starts soon! Please share widely! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...
Two PSU Kinesiology faculty members, Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology, & Danielle Symons Downs, SSRI associate director & professor of kinesiology & obstetrics & gynecology, were recently named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). ➡️
Two Penn State faculty named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology | Social Science Research Institute
Two Penn State Department of Kinesiology faculty members, Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology, and Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology, were recently…
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October 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Two PSU Kinesiology faculty members, Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology, & Danielle Symons Downs, SSRI associate director & professor of kinesiology & obstetrics & gynecology, were recently named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). ➡️
SSRI will host an Open House, P. Gabrielle Foreman, "Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times ," on Mon. Nov. 3 from 12pm-1pm in the 314 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building/Zoom. Attendees must register & a light lunch will be served for in-person attendees.
More ➡️
More ➡️
SSRI Open House | Social Science Research Institute
"Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times"
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October 27, 2025 at 2:07 PM
SSRI will host an Open House, P. Gabrielle Foreman, "Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times ," on Mon. Nov. 3 from 12pm-1pm in the 314 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building/Zoom. Attendees must register & a light lunch will be served for in-person attendees.
More ➡️
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New research shows that veterans’ mental health after leaving the military is shaped by more than just combat, with childhood trauma, deployment experiences and gender all influencing post-9/11 veterans’ well-being, according to SSRI's Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness.
Veterans’ mental health forged beyond the battlefield, researchers find | Social Science Research Institute
New research shows that veterans’ mental health after leaving the military is shaped by more than just combat, with childhood trauma, deployment experiences and gender all influencing post-9/11…
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October 24, 2025 at 2:04 PM
New research shows that veterans’ mental health after leaving the military is shaped by more than just combat, with childhood trauma, deployment experiences and gender all influencing post-9/11 veterans’ well-being, according to SSRI's Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness.
A pilot study recently published by Kathleen Keller, SSRI cofund & Helen A. Guthrie Chair of nutritional sciences at Penn State by In Frontiers in Nutrition demonstrated that the AI system is currently about 70% as successful as human bite counters. ➡️
Counting bites with AI might one day help prevent childhood obesity | Social Science Research Institute
The faster a child takes bites during a meal or snack, the greater risk they have for developing obesity, according to researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. But research…
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October 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
A pilot study recently published by Kathleen Keller, SSRI cofund & Helen A. Guthrie Chair of nutritional sciences at Penn State by In Frontiers in Nutrition demonstrated that the AI system is currently about 70% as successful as human bite counters. ➡️
Reposted by Social Science Research Institute at Penn State
On the theme of interdisciplinary research, I'll be hosting a hybrid retreat of the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making Monday, October 20, 12:15-3:15pm EST at Penn State. Open to our internal and external affiliates, in person & online. To join the conversation, contact me!
moralconsortium.psu.edu
moralconsortium.psu.edu
Home - Consortium on Moral Decision-Making
Welcome to the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making A collaborative hub dedicated to unraveling the intricate threads of ethical choices. As a multidisciplinary alliance of scholars, thinkers, and prac...
moralconsortium.psu.edu
October 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
On the theme of interdisciplinary research, I'll be hosting a hybrid retreat of the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making Monday, October 20, 12:15-3:15pm EST at Penn State. Open to our internal and external affiliates, in person & online. To join the conversation, contact me!
moralconsortium.psu.edu
moralconsortium.psu.edu
Check out this Q&A with SSRI Affiliate Kelley Cotter, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), who was awarded the Tom O’Regan Visiting Fellowship by the University of Queensland (UQ).
Q&A: IST faculty named digital cultures fellow at the University of Queensland | Social Science Research Institute
SSRI Affiliate Kelley Cotter, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), was awarded the Tom O’Regan Visiting Fellowship by the University of…
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October 17, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Check out this Q&A with SSRI Affiliate Kelley Cotter, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), who was awarded the Tom O’Regan Visiting Fellowship by the University of Queensland (UQ).
SSRI will host an Open House, "Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times ," on Monday, Nov. 3 from 12pm-1pm in the 314 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building/Zoom. Attendees must register & a light lunch will be served for in-person attendees.
More ➡️
More ➡️
SSRI Open House | Social Science Research Institute
"Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times"
buff.ly
October 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
SSRI will host an Open House, "Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success and Sustenance in Uncertain Times ," on Monday, Nov. 3 from 12pm-1pm in the 314 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building/Zoom. Attendees must register & a light lunch will be served for in-person attendees.
More ➡️
More ➡️
New study from @pop.psu.edu Director, Jenny Van Hook, shows dramatic aging of the undocumented immigrant population. Nearly half of undocumented Asians and more than one in five undocumented Mexicans are aged 50 or older, raising the uncertainty of aging in United States. buff.ly/jJzBdfU
The Growth and Diversity of Older Undocumented Immigrants in the United States | Demography | Duke University Press
Jennifer Van Hook, Mara Getz Sheftel; The Growth and Diversity of Older Undocumented Immigrants in the United States. Demography 2025; 12253766. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-12253766
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October 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM
New study from @pop.psu.edu Director, Jenny Van Hook, shows dramatic aging of the undocumented immigrant population. Nearly half of undocumented Asians and more than one in five undocumented Mexicans are aged 50 or older, raising the uncertainty of aging in United States. buff.ly/jJzBdfU