Latest News
New research by grad student Anna Zhou and Dr. Kristin Buss examines child physiology and trajectories of child internalizing symptoms
Research has shown that children's internalizing symptom development during early childhood are shaped by biopsychosocial processes including physiology and parental symptoms. However, associations between maternal internalizing symptoms, child physiology and trajectories of child internalizing symptoms are not well understood.
Carlomagno Panlilio, CSC faculty affiliate, recently contributed to an article for The Hill that discussed COVID-related education inequities
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently announced strategies for reopening schools during the ongoing pandemic. Although hand-washing, physical distancing, mask-wearing and in-person schooling are important, these strategies alone will not ensure that children are healthy and learning.
Robert Nix's Recipe 4 Success program, focusing on toddlers' self-regulation skills and healthy eating habits, is discussed in American Academy of Pediatrics podcast
In this episode Susan Walley, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control, highlights the new clinical report about health disparities in tobacco use and exposure. Hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, also talk to Robert Nix, PhD, about his research on toddler eating and self-regulation, published in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics.
Congratulations to Shannon Ranio, CSC Program Manager and Grants Specialist, on receiving the 2021 College of the Liberal Arts Staff Excellence Award!
The College of the Liberal Arts Staff Excellence Award provides recognition to employees who consistently demonstrate a high level of dedication and commitment to the unit and College. The employee has a positive and influential impact on the work environment, displays professionalism and initiative, and fosters cooperation and collaboration among peers and supervisors while carrying out their daily job responsibilities.
Research by Lisa Gatzke-Kopp and team links infant second-hand smoke exposure with behavior problems later in life
This association remained significant, even after controlling for family poverty level; parental education; parental history of depression, hostility or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; caregiver IQ; complications during pregnancy; and other factors.
Congratulations to Catherine Diercks for receiving the Superior Teaching and Research (STAR) Award from the College of the Liberal Arts
The STAR award is a scholarship award given to a graduate student in the College of the Liberal Arts who has demonstrated all-around excellence in teaching, research, and service.
U.S. News ranks Penn State #1 in online Bachelor’s in Psychology Program
Pennsylvania State University--World Campus, a public institution, has been offering online bachelor's degree programs since 2000-2001.
CSC faculty affiliate Orfeu Buxton named inaugural holder of the Elizabeth Fenton Susman Professorship in Biobehavioral Health in the College of Health and Human Development
The Susmans have made philanthropy to Penn State a priority for many decades.
Congratulations to former grad student Dr. Kristine Marceau of Purdue University for receiving a 2021 Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award for the Behavior Genetics Association
This award is presented to early career scientists of FABBS member societies during the first 10 years post-PhD and recognizes scientists who have made major contributions to the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior.
Recently published research by Paul Morgan discusses how some kindergartners in the U.S. are more likely to be frequent users of online technologies
Specific groups of kindergartners in the U.S. are more likely to be frequent users of social networking, online gaming or messaging by the end of fifth grade, according to our new study in the journal Child Development.
Sibling rivalry research by Mark Feinberg highlighted in New York Times article
“Conflict does decrease into adolescence; it sort of levels off,” said Mark Ethan Feinberg, a research professor of health and human development at Pennsylvania State University.
Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Berenice Anaya (mentor: Koraly Pérez-Edgar) on receiving a NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award
This two-phase award will facilitate completion of the doctoral dissertation and transition of talented graduate students (F99 phase) to strong neuroscience research postdoctoral positions (K00 phase), and will provide career development opportunities relevant to their long-term career goal of becoming independent neuroscience researchers.
Penn State alumnus Donn Rappaport and his wife, Susan, provide financial gift to create the Donn and Susan Rappaport Child Study Center Fund
Moved by their concern for victims of child sexual abuse and their hope to prevent it in the future, Penn State alumnus Donn Rappaport and his wife, Susan, have made a $100,000 commitment to create the Donn and Susan Rappaport Child Study Center Fund.
Paul Morgan and Adrienne Woods recently discussed the impacts of the pandemic on special education service delivery
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative Podcast is offering a new series called The Pandemic Perspective, where we examine how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects of our society, institutions, and other systems have collided, changed, and even collapsed in the last nine months.
CSC faculty affiliate Jennifer Frank part of research team teaching adolescents how to manage stress with mindfulness
The teenage years are often a time when anxiety and stress are heightened, causing individuals to deal with problems in self-defeating ways. New research led by a Penn State College of Education faculty member suggests that practicing mindfulness exercises, particularly mindful breathing, could enable adolescents to more effectively manage the stress in their lives.
Research findings by Karen Bierman and colleagues show that preschool enrichment programs like Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) can have long-lasting, positive effects for children
A preschool enrichment program developed at Penn State helps boost social and emotional skills that still have positive effects years later during middle and high school, according to a new study.
Research by Amanda Skoranski and Erika Lunkenheimer suggests regulatory difficulties may transfer from parents to children in the preschool years
Parental depression and anxiety can have profound effects on children. For the first time, Penn State researchers demonstrated that stress biology relates to depressive and anxiety symptoms differently for mothers versus fathers, and that parents’ profiles of stress biology and symptoms can predict their preschoolers’ emotional and behavioral problems.
Congratulations to Megan R. Gunnar, BJ Casey, and Dante Cicchetti, all former CSC Lois Bloom Lecture speakers, who received Association for Psychological Science 2021 Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Association for Psychological Science announces its lifetime achievement award recipients for 2021.
Robert Turrisi receives 5-year, $3.6 million grant to study risky drinking by college students
Is there a simple way for parents to reduce the chance of their college-age children having problems resulting from drinking alcohol?
Sarah Myruski and Kristin Buss offer Insights from Experts on Teens and Anxiety during COVID-19
The difficulty and necessity of emotion regulation.
CSC faculty affiliates Christian Connell and Jennie Noll part of research team to successfully improve a parent-education program to further prevent child sexual abuse
Researchers at Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network are using a novel approach to further prevent child sexual abuse.
Penn State's 28th annual National Symposium on Family Issues focused on the causes and consequences of parent-child separations
For the first time ever, the event was held virtually, but that didn’t deter experts around the nation from participating and offering their diverse research on the subject.
CSC faculty affiliates Christian Connell and Jennie Noll part of research team to successfully improve a parent-education program to further prevent child sexual abuse
Researchers at Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network are using a novel approach to further prevent child sexual abuse.
Congratulations to Sheri Berenbaum, Pamela Cole, Junqiang “Jacob” Dai, and Emily May, who received College of the Liberal Arts Spring 2020 Awards
The College of the Liberal Arts has announced their 2020 Spring Awards.
Recent analyses of 40 years of autism data by Jason Griffin and Dr. Suzy Scherf may have major implications for autism spectrum disorder
The ability to recognize faces varies greatly, but individuals with autism spectrum disorders can especially struggle, having huge implications for social interaction. Penn State researchers, for the first time, recently analyzed 40 years of autism data to determine deficits in face recognition.
Jennie Noll, director of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and CSC faculty affiliate, was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association
Jennie Noll, director of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and professor of human development and family studies, was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 37, the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice, for her outstanding contributions in research, professional service, and practice.
Congratulations to Carmen Henry-Harris, PACT Community engagement Coordinator and Liaison, for receving a Penn State Liberal Arts Staff Advisory Committee You Rock! Award!
The You Rock! Award was created as a way to recognize and honor unusual dedication and outstanding contributions by College of the Liberal Arts staff members.
The PROSPER program, proven to reduce youth substance use, works with schools and community leaders by offering in-school and after-school programs for middle school students and their families
A new website, located at prosper.psu.edu, will aid in recruiting Pennsylvania communities and families to participate in PROSPER, or PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience, a program proven to reduce use throughout entire communities by working with middle school students and their parents.
Meg Small, PRC Director of Social Innovation and Assistant Research Professor of HHD, consults for the Nittany AI Associates program and TEAMology on a project to improve resiliency competencies and SEL skills in the COVID-19 school environment
Penn State students involved in the Nittany AI Associates program, working alongside TEAMology — a startup exploring emotional health as a way to enhance a child’s ability to succeed in school — explored best pathways in the use of artificial intelligence to test resilience in students learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rick Gilmore, Pamela Cole, and an international team of developmental psychologists publish paper on the need for and challenges associated with greater data openness and sharing
Researchers in developmental psychology face a perplexing challenge: They know that collecting and sharing data about children can lead to real benefits for kids and their families, but they also recognize that some kinds of data like video or audio recordings risk violating the privacy of these vulnerable populations if not carefully protected.
Faculty affiliate Steffany Fredman and colleague co-develop an abbreviated treatment program to treat post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and improve family relationships
Couples that include a partner with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may someday have access to a faster, more efficient therapy that treats the disorder and simultaneously improves their relationships, according to research.
Dr. Sunhye Bai awarded early career professorship
Congratulations to Dr. Sunhye Bai, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, on being awarded the Karl R. Fink and Diane Wendle Fink Early Career Professorship for the Study of Families.
Addressing inequities in education during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) recently released a new series of briefs entitled Addressing inequities in education during the COVID-19 pandemic: How education policy and schools can support historically and currently marginalized children and youth. The series contains five briefs, each two pages in length.
SSRI's Insights from Experts features Dr. Rina Das Eiden discussing parental substance use during COVID-19
In this post, I will discuss the complex issue of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic with a specific emphasis on the likely negative impacts on the family unit. I also offer recommendations to help support individuals and families.
Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of child studies and professor of psychology, named associate director of SSRI
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) recently named Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of child studies and professor of psychology, as an associate director of the institute.
Faculty affiliate Gregory Fosco's research indicates the importance of parental warmth when raising teens
While parent-teen conflict is inevitable, parents expressing warmth and support on high-conflict days can bolster how much their teen feels loved, according to a study conducted by Gregory Fosco, Penn State associate professor of human development and family studies and associate director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center.
A PACT panel presented, "Maintaining Partnerships to Serve the Community: Increased Importance during Trying Times" as part of a Latino Connection and Penn State Reach webinar series
Discussions centered on the importance of partnerships, particularly among community members, community organizations, and educational institutions, to enhance the lives of diverse children, youth and families.
PACT welcomes new Assistant Director
PACT welcomed Eugenia R. Moten as Assistant Director effective July 1, 2020.
After more than 13 years, Susan McHale plans to step down as director of the Social Science Research Institute
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research announced on July 24 that Susan McHale will step down as the director of the Social Science Research Institute. She will continue to head the institute while a search for the next director is conducted.
Laura Bray presented, "Partnering with Schools during the Pandemic to Support your Child's Individual Learning Needs: Strategies and Resources for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities"
Dr. Bray's presentation was part of The Road to New American Health webinar series.
Paul Morgan and colleagues receive funding for two new projects examining how students with or at-risk for disabilities can be better served in U.S. schools
Penn State researchers are examining how students with or at-risk for disabilities can be better helped as they attend U.S. schools, through two new projects totaling nearly $1.2 million being funded by the National Center for Special Education Research, U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.
Rina Das Eiden presented, "COVID-19 and Perinatal Experiences" as part of a Latino Connection & Penn State Reach webinar series
This webinar focused on current knowledge about COVID-19 and pregnancy and the postpartum period. The presentation included online resources especially relevant to pregnant/postpartum women that may help address mental and physical health risks.
Martha Wadsworth and the CaRES Lab presented, "The 5 C's of Positive Youth Development" July 8th as part of The Road to New American Health webinar series
The Road to New American Health is a webinar series powered by Latino Connection and Penn State Reach.
Erika Lunkenheimer presented, "Parenting During a Pandemic" as part of a Latino Connection & Penn State Reach webinar series
Latino Connection, in partnership with various organizations, hosted a webinar series with professionals in health and finance to discuss topics and resources for minority health and wellness.
Rob Turrisi partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to talk about peer pressure, social groups, and teen drinking
Coffee with Rob - Social Groups and Peer Pressure
Congratulations to Janet Welsh on being promoted to Research Professor
Janet Welsh, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Center, College of Health and Human Development, has been working in prevention research since 1994.
Congratulations to Kristin Buss on being named the Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families
Kristin Buss, head of the Department of Psychology in the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, has been named the Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families.