What's beneath Hawaii's most active volcano?
A Penn State professor and researcher is using InSAR to study what's causing the volatility at Kilauea, Hawaii's most volatile volcano.
Research
Research
Researcher develops novel strategy to improve crops and treat diseases
3/2/15
A novel strategy to enhance genome editing promises to increase the efficiency of making genetic improvements in a wide range of organisms, a new study suggests. The results could help boost applications such as developing better crops and treating genetic diseases in humans, Penn State researchers said.
Researcher looks to eye-tracking device to better understand anxiety in children
2/27/15
For some youngsters, a toy spider is frightening. For others, it’s simply a funny-looking plaything. Why some kids squeal with delight and others with trepidation is what Koraly Perez-Edgar, a researcher in Penn State’s Department of Psychology, is hoping to tap into. Her research team is working with a German technology firm to build an eye-tracking visor that will capture eye gaze information that could lead to a better understanding of anxiety disorders in children.
Sophisticated cyber crime methods are changing the definition of hacking
2/27/15
Penn State’s cyber security team identifies and blocks approximately 157,000 hostile systems from accessing 200,000 computers on the University network on any given day.
University of London school honors Evan Pugh Professor, expert in Byzantium
2/27/15
Anthony Cutler, Evan Pugh Professor of Art History, has been appointed a professorial research associate in the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, for a two-year term in 2015-17.
Interaction of ocean oscillations caused 'false pause' in global warming
2/26/15
The recent slowdown in climate warming is due, at least in part, to natural oscillations in the climate, according to a team of climate scientists, who add that these oscillations represent variability internal to the climate system. They do not signal any slowdown in human-caused global warming.
New crop production guide aimed at helping farmers tap growing organic markets
2/26/15
If you are an organic-crop producer in the Northeast or a farmer interested in transitioning to organic, there is a new resource available to help provide the research-based information you need to be successful. The newly published Penn State Organic Crop Production Guide is among the most comprehensive university-produced guides in the country.
Undocumented Mexican immigrants' kids have higher risk of behavior problems
2/26/15
Children of undocumented Mexican immigrants have a significantly higher risk of behavior problems than their co-ethnic counterparts with documented or naturalized citizen mothers, according to a team of sociologists.
Study: Negative posts hurt company’s rep, but ‘inoculation’ may help
2/25/15
A formal studies that confirms the impact of negative social media content has been published by a research team that includes a Penn State faculty member.
New program to promote and fund collaborative research at College of Medicine
2/25/15
A new program to promote research collaborations and fund team research projects at Penn State Hershey kicks off on Feb. 26.
Understanding faith, teaching evolution not mutually exclusive
2/25/15
Discussing the relationship between science and faith, rather than avoiding the discussion, may better prepare future high school biology teachers for anticipating questions about evolution, according to Penn State political scientists.
Students use new lab to study how sounds influence human health
2/24/15
The Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Penn State has established the Social Science Acoustics Lab in Keller Building at the University Park campus. The lab is used in a variety of ways to investigate the impact natural sounds have on human health.
Study identifies children at risk for persistent mathematics difficulties
2/24/15
A recent study published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities suggests early screening and intervention may prevent persistent math difficulties (PMD) for at-risk children.
Concrete solutions to aging bridges
2/23/15
New recipes for concrete -- and new ways to monitor old concrete -- aim for safer, longer-lasting bridges. Penn State civil engineering faculty are researching methods for enhancing the maintenance and durability of civil infrastructure, including anything made of concrete, from bridges to roads to buildings.
Small predator diversity is an important part of a healthy ecosystem
2/23/15
Biodiversity, including small predators such as dragonflies and other aquatic bugs that attack and consume parasites, may improve the health of amphibians, according to a team of researchers. Amphibians have experienced marked declines in the wild around the world in recent decades, the team added.
Project looks to horticulture value chain to improve outlook for Honduran women
2/23/15
Impoverished families in western Honduras stand to benefit from a new project aimed at improving access to that country's markets for high-value horticultural crops. Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have received a nearly $1.4 million grant to perform a gender-based analysis of the Honduran horticultural value chain, with an eye toward reducing barriers to participation for women and other marginalized groups, while enhancing family income and nutrition.