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Second annual 'Iron Chef' contest set for March 27

3/16/10

A group of Penn State students are sponsoring an "Iron Chef" contest that will benefit the State College Area Food Bank. Hosted by the Nutrition Graduate Student Association (NGSA), the second annual "Iron Chef" fundraising event pits 12 teams of students, faculty and staff in the College of Health and Human Development against each other in a culinary battle. The twist, true to the popular Food Network show "Iron Chef," is that each team will have to incorporate a secret ingredient into their meals. Two prizes will be awarded, one for most money raised, and one for best overall dish. The event, which begins at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, is free and open to the public.

Harrisburg Preschool Program improves standardized test performance

3/9/10

Recent standardized test results show that participation in the Harrisburg Preschool Program (HPP) significantly affects children's literacy and math skills. Third-grade children who had participated in the HPP program scored significantly higher on Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests than their peers who had not participated in the HPP program.

Probing Question: Can deafness be cured?

3/2/10

The New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl in February, and the crowd roared. Quarterback Drew Brees brought his one-year-old son to the field to experience the celebration—muffled through an enormous pair of headphones. Brees protected little Baylen's ears because he knows that repeated exposure to loud noise leads to hearing loss. But what if you're older and already hard of hearing? Can deafness be cured?

Nutritional sciences organizes talks on how to add vegetables to diet

3/1/10

The Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences is organizing two informational discussions as part of National Nutrition Month, which is observed every March. Each discussion will focus on ways that people can implement vegetables into their daily lives. The events are free and open to the public.

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Office of Rural Health renames internship in memory of former student

2/26/10

The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) has renamed its internship program in memory of Jennifer Cwynar, a 2008 alumna of the Penn State health policy and administration program, who served as a PORH intern in the summer of 2008. Cwynar died on Jan. 6, as the result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident near her home in Turtle Creek, Pa. The Jennifer S. Cwynar Rural Health Undergraduate Internship Program exposes Penn State undergraduate students to the unique health care access, affordability and quality issues facing rural Pennsylvanians.

Stress hormone, depression trigger obesity in girls

2/22/10

Depression raises stress hormone levels in adolescent boys and girls but may lead to obesity only in girls, according to researchers. Early treatment of depression could help reduce stress and control obesity -- a major health issue. "This is the first time cortisol reactivity has been identified as a mediator between depressed mood and obesity in girls," said Elizabeth J. Susman, the Jean Phillips Shibley professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State.

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Health administration students place third in case competition

2/22/10

Three Penn State students in the Master of Health Administration program (M.H.A.), received third place in the annual Health Administration Case Competition hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on Feb. 11, 2010. In the competition, 24 teams of health administration students from universities across the country were challenged with developing solutions to the same real-world dilemma. This year, the competition centered on hospital and physician alignment.

Research study looks at weight loss strategies

2/17/10

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center's Dr. Chris Sciamanna is studying successful weight loss strategies and is looking for people who have lost weight and kept it off.

New learning intervention for kindergartners emphasizes parents' role

2/15/10

Penn State researchers have developed an innovative intervention program for families who have children in kindergarten who are at risk for poor school performance. The intervention emphasizes parental involvement in the at-home learning process, and resulted from a study funded with a $3 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

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To the Point: Penn State expert on the Winter Olympics

2/12/10

Mark Dyreson, associate professor of kinesiology in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, is a national expert on sports and culture and the history and impact of the Olympic Games. The writer and editor of numerous articles and books on the Olympics, his author credits include "Making the American Team: Sport, Culture and the Olympic Experience," and "Crafting Patriotism: America at the Olympic Games." His most recent work includes co-editing and contributing an article to 2009's "Olympic Legacies: Intended and Unintended." In this Q&A, Dyreson discusses perceptions and popularity of the Winter Olympics, the "Californication" of the games, impacts on host cities and what makes a memorable moment.

Soothing infants with food focus of childhood obesity study

2/10/10

Both genetics and parents who comfort their infants with food are the focus of a study funded for $1 million by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestion and Kidney Disease. The study investigates risk factors for childhood obesity. The grant is part of the National Institutes of Health American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding.

Professor explores impact of stadiums and Olympics in two new books

2/2/10

Two recently published books co-edited by Mark Dyreson, associate professor of kinesiology, explore the role of sport in shaping cultures." The Rise of Stadiums in the Modern United States: Cathedrals of Sport" examines the history of and perceptions surrounding several stadiums built (or planned to be built) in the United States, and "Olympic Legacies: Intended and Unintended" explores how the Olympics have changed cities across the world -- and how those cities have changed the Olympics. Both books are part of Routledge's Sport in the Global Society series.

Penn State alumnus gives back with $225,000 in scholarship support

1/28/10

Penn State alumnus Ken Fasola and his wife, Tenley, have created two scholarships to benefit students enrolled in both the Schreyer Honors College and the College of Health and Human Development. The Fasola Family Honors Scholarship in the College of Health and Human Development, endowed with a $125,000 gift, provides financial aid to a Schreyer Scholar studying health policy and administration. The Fasola Family Trustee Scholarship in the Schreyer Honors College, endowed with a $100,000 gift, provides financial aid to a Schreyer scholar who is preferably enrolled in the College of Health and Human Development.

Professor to lecture on prevention of high-risk student drinking

1/27/10

Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, will present this year's Pattishall Research Lecture. His lecture, "High-Risk Student Drinking Prevention: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Research on Student Drinking and Prevention Programming on College Campuses," will be given at 4 p.m. on Feb. 16, in the Bennett Pierce Living Center, room 110 of the Henderson Building on Penn State's University Park campus. The event, sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development, is free and open to the public.

Students network and refine research at graduate student conference

1/27/10

Lydia Hanks had a tremendous experience at her first research-centered conference. A graduate student in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (HRIM), Hanks presented two posters on her own research. "I received great feedback from other students and faculty from other schools," she says. "This helped me to further clarify my research and how I can move forward."

Hanks was among the sixteen Penn State graduate students (fourteen studying HRIM and two studying Recreation, Park and Tourism Management) attending the fifteenth annual Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, held January 7-9, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

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