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2 female researchers standing on staircase with 2 male researchers

Prevention Research Center aims to help families and their children

5/22/13

With research and programs aimed at changing risky behaviors, Penn State's Prevention Research Center promotes well-being in children, teens, and families.

Established in 1997 with an endowment by alumna Edna Bennett Pierce, the Prevention Research Center is the largest of its kind in the nation. It also is recognized as one of the best. "What sets us apart is our broad range of focuses," says acting director Ed Smith. "While we're similar to other prevention centers in that we promote effective programs and work in communities to ensure they're being done well, we incorporate a strong research component."

Marques Paige, recent Penn State Harrisburg graduate

Undergrad theses examine topics from body image to recycled tires

5/15/13

Eight seniors in the Penn State Harrisburg Capital College Honors Program presented their theses -- on topics ranging from body image to green roofs and recycled tires -- just before graduation May 4. All said working on their projects -- which in some cases took two years to complete -- has given them direction.

Benner's Hill on the Gettysburg Battlefied

Guide adds new voices to history of Gettysburg battle

5/15/13

For three days in July 1863, thousands of Gettysburg civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers were caught up in a battle that left often conflicting data and anecdotes. This makes writing about the Battle of Gettysburg both a dream and a nightmare for Civil War historians, according to a Penn State researcher.

three women researchers sitting around a table

The Mexican Children of Immigrants Program: Interpreting the numbers

5/8/13

Language barriers, fear of deportation, and community prejudice are problems often faced by Mexican immigrants that contribute to dramatic disparities in health and well-being between immigrants and the native-born U.S. population. These problems may be compounded by family and community characteristics, making it especially difficult for the children of immigrants to receive the basic services needed to promote a healthy future. Such complexities are the focus of a three-pronged program of investigation by a research team at Penn State's Penn State's Population Research Institute (PRI).

A seller's conspicuous consumption may undermine bond with consumers

5/7/13

What kind of judgments do buyers make based on the way a sellers present themselves? How do these judgments impact buyers’ willingness to close a sale? Researchers addressed these questions in a recent Penn State Smeal College of Business study, specifically examining the effects of sellers’ conspicuous consumption on the buyer-seller relationship.

female student crossing police line at mock crime scene

Probing Question: Do women dominate the field of forensic science?

5/7/13

Exhuming corpses, analyzing bloodstained clothing, collecting "crime scene insects" (yes, maggots)...these are some of the grittier realities of life as a forensic scientist. Yet defying the stereotype that females tend to be squeamish about such things, an entire generation of young women have become entranced by the profession. In fact, they've pursued this career in such numbers that—unlike almost every other scientific discipline—one could argue that the booming field of forensic science is a female domain.

avatar wearing a backpack

Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions

5/2/13

When people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers presenting their findings at 2013 Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Paris today (May 2).

tissues in white boutique box

People may welcome talking tissue boxes and other smart objects

5/1/13

Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to Penn State researchers. "Smart objects will become more and more a part of our daily lives," said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory.

2 young men with game controllers

Leadership emerges spontaneously during games

4/29/13

Video game and augmented-reality game players can spontaneously build virtual teams and leadership structures without special tools or guidance, according to researchers. Players in a game that mixed real and online worlds organized and operated in teams that resembled a military organization.

A group of Penn State faculty visit Taiwan

Penn State teams up with Taiwanese university to create learning sciences center

4/24/13

Penn State University and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) have developed a collaboration to establish the Advanced Center for the Study of the Learning Sciences. Under a proposal funded by the Taiwan National Science Council, center researchers will devise ways for educators to keep pace with rapidly changing information and technology in society. Behavioral and neuro-cognitive research will serve as focal points for the center’s work.

Marketing Professor Rajdeep Grewal

Marketing activities can lead to better IPO performance

4/22/13

If managers want to position their young firms for better performance as they enter the public market, they should devote more resources to marketing activities early in the firm’s lifecycle, says a recent study from researchers at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

elemental symbol for helium

Probing Question: Are we running out of helium?

4/22/13

Some scientists are sounding the alarm about the wastefulness of using helium -- a rare, non-renewable gas -- to fill party balloons. Why? As an essential resource in technologies such as medical imaging, rocket engines, and surveillance devices, it turns out that helium does a lot more than give our balloons a lift. And despite being the second most abundant element in the universe, most of our supply in the Earth’s atmosphere simply floats off into space and is lost.

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2 female researchers standing on staircase with 2 male researchers

Prevention Research Center aims to help families and their children

5/22/13

With research and programs aimed at changing risky behaviors, Penn State's Prevention Research Center promotes well-being in children, teens, and families.

Established in 1997 with an endowment by alumna Edna Bennett Pierce, the Prevention Research Center is the largest of its kind in the nation. It also is recognized as one of the best. "What sets us apart is our broad range of focuses," says acting director Ed Smith. "While we're similar to other prevention centers in that we promote effective programs and work in communities to ensure they're being done well, we incorporate a strong research component."

Marques Paige, recent Penn State Harrisburg graduate

Undergrad theses examine topics from body image to recycled tires

5/15/13

Eight seniors in the Penn State Harrisburg Capital College Honors Program presented their theses -- on topics ranging from body image to green roofs and recycled tires -- just before graduation May 4. All said working on their projects -- which in some cases took two years to complete -- has given them direction.

Benner's Hill on the Gettysburg Battlefied

Guide adds new voices to history of Gettysburg battle

5/15/13

For three days in July 1863, thousands of Gettysburg civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers were caught up in a battle that left often conflicting data and anecdotes. This makes writing about the Battle of Gettysburg both a dream and a nightmare for Civil War historians, according to a Penn State researcher.

three women researchers sitting around a table

The Mexican Children of Immigrants Program: Interpreting the numbers

5/8/13

Language barriers, fear of deportation, and community prejudice are problems often faced by Mexican immigrants that contribute to dramatic disparities in health and well-being between immigrants and the native-born U.S. population. These problems may be compounded by family and community characteristics, making it especially difficult for the children of immigrants to receive the basic services needed to promote a healthy future. Such complexities are the focus of a three-pronged program of investigation by a research team at Penn State's Penn State's Population Research Institute (PRI).

A seller's conspicuous consumption may undermine bond with consumers

5/7/13

What kind of judgments do buyers make based on the way a sellers present themselves? How do these judgments impact buyers’ willingness to close a sale? Researchers addressed these questions in a recent Penn State Smeal College of Business study, specifically examining the effects of sellers’ conspicuous consumption on the buyer-seller relationship.

female student crossing police line at mock crime scene

Probing Question: Do women dominate the field of forensic science?

5/7/13

Exhuming corpses, analyzing bloodstained clothing, collecting "crime scene insects" (yes, maggots)...these are some of the grittier realities of life as a forensic scientist. Yet defying the stereotype that females tend to be squeamish about such things, an entire generation of young women have become entranced by the profession. In fact, they've pursued this career in such numbers that—unlike almost every other scientific discipline—one could argue that the booming field of forensic science is a female domain.

avatar wearing a backpack

Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions

5/2/13

When people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers presenting their findings at 2013 Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Paris today (May 2).

tissues in white boutique box

People may welcome talking tissue boxes and other smart objects

5/1/13

Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to Penn State researchers. "Smart objects will become more and more a part of our daily lives," said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory.

2 young men with game controllers

Leadership emerges spontaneously during games

4/29/13

Video game and augmented-reality game players can spontaneously build virtual teams and leadership structures without special tools or guidance, according to researchers. Players in a game that mixed real and online worlds organized and operated in teams that resembled a military organization.

A group of Penn State faculty visit Taiwan

Penn State teams up with Taiwanese university to create learning sciences center

4/24/13

Penn State University and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) have developed a collaboration to establish the Advanced Center for the Study of the Learning Sciences. Under a proposal funded by the Taiwan National Science Council, center researchers will devise ways for educators to keep pace with rapidly changing information and technology in society. Behavioral and neuro-cognitive research will serve as focal points for the center’s work.

Marketing Professor Rajdeep Grewal

Marketing activities can lead to better IPO performance

4/22/13

If managers want to position their young firms for better performance as they enter the public market, they should devote more resources to marketing activities early in the firm’s lifecycle, says a recent study from researchers at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

elemental symbol for helium

Probing Question: Are we running out of helium?

4/22/13

Some scientists are sounding the alarm about the wastefulness of using helium -- a rare, non-renewable gas -- to fill party balloons. Why? As an essential resource in technologies such as medical imaging, rocket engines, and surveillance devices, it turns out that helium does a lot more than give our balloons a lift. And despite being the second most abundant element in the universe, most of our supply in the Earth’s atmosphere simply floats off into space and is lost.