Mark Neely, McCabe-Greer Professor in the American Civil War, spoke on "Lincoln and Liberty: A Closer Look at Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution in Wartime" at last week's Research Unplugged event. (more)
Keith Cheng, professor of pathology at Penn State College of Medicine, was the speaker at the second Research Unplugged talk this semester. His talk was titled "More than Skin Deep: Solving the Genetic Mysteries of Skin Color." This Thursday (March 29) Mark Neely will present "Lincoln and Liberty: A Closer Look at Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution in Wartime." Neely is the McCabe-Greer Professor in the American Civil War Era and author of the recently published "Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation," won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1992. (more)
Mothers who financially struggle to provide food for their families tend to put themselves at risk for obesity while trying to feed their children, according to Penn State sociologists. Mothers who do not have enough money to provide adequate food for their families are more likely to be obese or overweight than fathers who face food shortages, as well as food-insecure, childless women and men, said Molly Martin, assistant professor of sociology and demography. Over time, these food-insecure mothers also gain more weight compared to all food-insecure men and food-insecure women not caring for children.
"We often forget that food insecurity is happening in a country as rich as ours," said Martin. "Trying to protect children from food insecurity is not as rare as it once was, and it's been on the rise for the last two years, if not the last five years." (more)
Beliefs about nature and nurture can affect how patients and their families respond to news about their diagnosis, according to Penn State health communication researchers. Understanding how people might respond to a health problem, especially when the recommendations for adapting to the condition may seem contradictory to their beliefs, is crucial to planning communication strategies, said Roxanne Parrott. (more)
Research Unplugged, the popular Penn State speaker series that brings University researchers into the community for lively public discussions, launches its spring season on March 15. The series begins its eighth year on a new time and day -- 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Thursdays -- and in a new location -- Schlow Centre Region Library's Downsbrough Community Room, downtown State College, Pa. Schlow Library joins Penn State's Office of the Vice President for Research and Office of University Relations as a partner in the Research Unplugged series. The events are free and open to all, with complimentary light refreshments. (more)
Attending a financially poor school may have more of an effect on unhealthy adolescent weight than family poverty, according to Penn State sociologists. Poor schools even influence how parental education protects kids from becoming overweight. "It was once thought that family income was the main factor when we talk about the research on adolescent weight," said Molly Martin, assistant professor of sociology and demography. "That's not true. The environments the children live in play a key role in weight problems among adolescents." (more)
A religious studies scholar and pioneer in the study of American Buddhism reflects in his newest book on a more than four-decade career that included controversies and insights that changed the field of Buddhist studies. Charles Prebish said he chose to write his memoir, "An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer," (The Sumeru Press, 2011), to highlight the personalities of the people and scholars he met during his career. "People in Buddhist studies typically don't write memoirs, so there's no reflection on the great people in the field," said Prebish. "I thought, why not go ahead and write it because the stories are so good." (more)
Eight Penn State faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Fellows are Consuelo M. De Moraes, professor of entomology; Jainendra K. Jain, Erwin W. Mueller Professor of Physics; John A. Kelmelis, professor of international affairs; Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Linguistics, and Women's Studies and director of the Center for Language Science; Beverly Lindsay, professor of education, higher education and comparative and international education; Steven J. Schiff, director, Penn State Center for Neural Engineering, Brush Chair Professor of Engineering, professor of neurosurgery, engineering science and mechanics, and physics; Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics and materials science and engineering; and Darrell Velegol, professor of chemical engineering. (more)
Known for her poetry, letters, love affair and marriage to Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning also left a legacy of unanswered questions about her lifelong chronic illness. Now, a Penn State anthropologist, with the aid of her daughter, may have unraveled the mystery. Born in 1806, Barrett Browning suffered throughout her life from incapacitating weakness, heart palpitations, intense response to heat and cold, intense response to illnesses as mild as a cold, and general exhaustion in bouts that lasted from days to months or years. Her doctors were unable to diagnose or treat her illness, which apparently first appeared around age 13. (more)
Penn State adult learner Nicole Bianchi studied online in public libraries between her husband's Minor League baseball games. Lt. Michael Choe, a U.S. Navy pilot, and his wife Amanda Choe juggled the challenges of military life to complete their degrees online. They and other adult students who earned their degrees at University Park campus and online through the World Campus will be honored at a Penn State Outreach graduation celebration. (more)
