News and Events in College of Health and Human Development
- Whole walnuts and their extracted oil improve cardiovascular disease risk
- Consumption of whole walnuts or their extracted oil can reduce cardiovascular risk through a mechanism other than simply lowering cholesterol, according to a team of Penn State, Tufts University and University of Pennsylvania researchers. "We already know that eating walnuts in a heart-healthy diet can lower blood cholesterol levels," said Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Penn State. "But, until now, we did not know what component of the walnut was providing this benefit. Now we understand additional ways in which whole walnuts and their oil components can improve heart health."
- Purdum named recipient of IFMA Silver Plate Award
- James Purdum, general manager for Hospitality Services at Penn State, has been named the recipient of the 2013 International Foodservice Manufacturer’s Association (IFMA) Silver Plate Award in Hotels and Lodging. IFMA’s Gold and Silver Plate Awards, the highest possible operator awards in the foodservice industry, acknowledge outstanding operators in the industry each year. Winners are chosen by a rigorous process that includes evaluation by a jury of immediate past winners, chief editors from leading foodservice publications, and industry experts. “The awards allow us to pay tribute to outstanding individuals whose contributions advance their individual segments and the foodservice industry as a whole,” says Larry Oberkfell, president and CEO of IFMA. Purdum, who received a bachelor’s degree in 1977 from Penn State in food services and housing administration, is honored by the award and credits his team of colleagues for their professionalism and commitment. “This award is a tribute to the hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence by the entire Hospitality Services team,” he says. “It’s also a recognition of the support and commitment our hotels have had from our leadership, our guests, and the many colleagues we are fortunate to work with each day to support the mission of this great University.
- Rebecca Miller, College of Health and Human Development Student Marshal for Spring 2013 Commencement
- Rebecca Miller, daughter of Karl and Mary Ann Miller of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, is receiving a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and minors in human development and family studies and in dance. During her undergraduate years at Penn State, she maintained a 4.00 grade-point average. She also received a President’s Freshman Award, a President Spark’s Award, an Evan Pugh Junior Award, and an Evan Pugh Senior Award from Penn State.
- Handbook on psychology, sexual orientation wins award
- The "Handbook of Psychology and Sexual Orientation," co-edited by Anthony D'Augelli, associate dean for undergraduate programs and outreach in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development and professor of human development in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, has received the 2013 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, a division of the American Psychological Association. The annual award is given to a book that has made a significant contribution to the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) psychology.
- New model of how brain functions are organized may revolutionize stroke rehab
- A new model of brain lateralization for movement could dramatically improve the future of rehabilitation for stroke patients, according to Penn State researcher Robert Sainburg, who proposed and confirmed the model through novel virtual reality and brain lesion experiments. Since the 1860s, neuroscientists have known that the human brain is organized into two hemispheres, each of which is responsible for different functions. Known as neural lateralization, this functional division has significant implications for the control of movement and is familiar in the phenomenon of handedness. Understanding the connections between neural lateralization and motor control is crucial to many applications, including the rehabilitation of stroke patients. While most people intuitively understand handedness, the neural foundations underlying motor asymmetry have until recently remained elusive, according to Sainburg, professor of kinesiology and neurology and participant in the neuroscience and physiology graduate programs at the University's Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.
- Better coordination necessary to reduce hospital readmission rates
- Achieving widespread reductions in preventable hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries may take longer than many health care professionals originally anticipated, according to researchers at Penn State, the Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania. "Studies show that one in five Medicare beneficiaries returns to the hospital within 30 days of discharge at an annual cost of $18 billion to the program, and many of these readmissions are thought to be preventable with better care," said Jessica Mittler, assistant professor of health policy and administration, Penn State. As a result, in the fall of 2012, Medicare began financially penalizing hospitals with excessive hospital readmissions for heart attacks, congestive heart failure or pneumonia." The researchers examined the results of the first two years of the State Action on Avoidable Rehospitalizations (STAAR) initiative, which aims to reduce hospital readmissions in Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington by 20 to 30 percent. Specifically, they analyzed 52 interviews with national program leaders, state STAAR directors, improvement advisers, hospital participants, post-acute care providers, members of professional associations and health-care policy leaders.
- Neighborhood park renovations enhance visitor behaviors and experiences
- Renovating public parks enhances visitor behaviors and experiences, according to researchers at Penn State, who surveyed park visitors in Allentown, Pa., about their use of a neighborhood park after it was renovated. "It may seem obvious that park renovations benefit communities, but funders are increasingly demanding more scientific evidence, beyond anecdotal stories, that demonstrate the impact of park renovations," said Andrew Mowen, associate professor of recreation, park and tourism management. "Such information can help state and local government agencies assess the value of their financial investments in parks." The researchers examined visitor perceptions of a major capital renovation that was completed at Allentown's 110-acre Cedar Creek Parkway in 2010. Renovations to this park included building a 25,000-square-foot destination playground, paving the multi-purpose trails, installing new exercise stations, refurbishing the flower garden, upgrading picnic areas and improving stream quality with a riparian buffer.
- Penn State to offer human development and family studies degree online
- For those interested in understanding human behavior, in learning how people relate to one another and about how to make a difference in their lives, Penn State’s new online bachelor of science in human development and family studies (HDFS) offers an excellent opportunity to prepare for a variety of rewarding careers. Offered by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Health and Human Development, the HDFS program is delivered online through the World Campus. The HDFS bachelor of science degree prepares students to work in human services with many different types of people — from infants to the elderly — and in a variety of settings, from public and nonprofit agencies to business and government. The degree also prepares students to develop new ways to prevent and treat social and mental health problems and to become advocates for new social programs and policies. Graduates of the program work in a variety of professional fields, including counseling, social work, education, policy advocacy, nonprofit administration, human resources, law and government, health care services and administration, and research. The HDFS major also is excellent preparation for graduate school for advanced training in these fields.
- Penn State Professors Create Fund to Support Graduate Students
- Penn State Professors Elizabeth J. Susman and Gerald I. Susman have created two new endowments to support graduate students in the College of Health and Human Development and the Smeal College of Business, their respective colleges.
- The Gerald I. Susman Enhancement Fund in the Department of Management and Organization in the Smeal College of Business and the Elizabeth J. Susman Enhancement Fund in Biobehavioral Health in the College of Health and Human Development will provide annual support for graduate students in the academic departments where the Susmans have spent their distinguished academic careers.
- Monounsaturated fats reduce metabolic syndrome risk
- Canola oil and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers. The researchers also found that consuming certain vegetable oils may be a simple way of reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which affects about one in three U.S. adults and one in five Canadian adults. "The monounsaturated fats in these vegetable oils appear to reduce abdominal fat, which in turn may decrease metabolic syndrome risk factors," said Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Penn State. In the randomized, controlled trial, 121 participants at risk for metabolic syndrome received a daily smoothie containing 40 grams (1.42 ounces) of one of five oils as part of a weight maintenance, heart-healthy, 2000-calorie per day diet. Members of the group had five risk factors characterized by increased belly fat, low "good" hdl cholesterol and above average blood sugar, blood pressure and triglycerides that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The researchers repeated this process for the remaining four oils.
- Smoking immediately upon waking may increase risk of lung and oral cancer
- The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to Penn State researchers. "We found that smokers who consume cigarettes immediately after waking have higher levels of NNAL -- a metabolite of the tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK -- in their blood than smokers who refrain from smoking a half hour or more after waking, regardless of how many cigarettes they smoke per day," said Steven Branstetter, assistant professor of biobehavioral health. According to Branstetter, other research has shown that NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-[3-pyridyl]-1-butanone) induces lung tumors in several rodent species. Levels of NNAL (4-(methylnitrosamnino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) in the blood can therefore predict lung cancer risk in rodents as well as in humans. In addition, NNAL levels are stable in smokers over time, and a single measurement can accurately reflect an individual's exposure.
- Unhealthy eating can make a bad mood worse
- Taking part in unhealthy eating behaviors may cause women who are concerned about their diet and self-image to experience a worsening of their moods, according to Penn State researchers. In a study, college-age women who were concerned about their eating behaviors reported that moods worsened after bouts of disordered eating, said Kristin Heron, research associate at the Survey Research Center. "There was little in the way of mood changes right before the unhealthy eating behaviors," said Heron. "However, negative mood was significantly higher after these behaviors." According to Heron, who worked with Joshua Smyth, professor of biobehavioral health, Stacey Scott, research associate in the Center for Healthy Aging, and Martin Sliwinski, professor of human development and family studies, people who experience disordered eating patterns may exhibit behaviors such as binge eating, loss of control over eating and food intake restriction.
- A. Catharine Ross edits new book 'Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease'
- A new textbook, titled "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 11th Edition," was published this month by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A. Catharine Ross, professor of nutritional sciences and Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair, is the senior editor. "The book is a complete authoritative reference on nutrition and its role in contemporary medicine, dietetics, nursing, public health and public policy," said Ross. "Distinguished international experts provide in-depth information on historical landmarks in nutrition, specific dietary components, nutrition in integrated biologic systems, nutritional assessment through the life cycle, nutrition in various clinical disorders, and public health and policy issues."
- Martin Sliwinski to give talk on the science of healthy aging
- Martin Sliwinski, Penn State professor of human development and family studies and director of the Center for Healthy Aging, will present a talk, titled "The Science of Healthy Aging," at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 18, at the auditorium at Foxdale Village, located at 500 E. Marylyn Ave. in State College. The talk is the first in the 2013 Healthy Aging Lecture Series, which is sponsored by the Center for Healthy Aging in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Penn State, Foxdale Village, The Village at Penn State and Mount Nittany Medical Center. Sliwinski's talk will focus on "What is healthy aging?" and "What does it mean to age successfully?" The talk will draw on Sliwinski's research, which examines how aging, health and disease can influence a person’s ability to memorize, reason and concentrate, as well as his work on how daily stress leads to long-term changes in mental, physical and cognitive health.
- Light recognized with President’s Award for academic integration
- Janice Light, Hintz Family Endowed Chair in Children’s Communicative Competence in the College of Health and Human Development, has been awarded the 2013 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration. The award is given to a full-time faculty member who has exhibited extraordinary achievement in the integration of teaching, research or creative accomplishment, and service. Since coming to Penn State in 1990, Light has focused her research on improving communication outcomes and enhancing quality of life for individuals who have significant speech and language impairments and require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), such as signs, communication boards or speech generating assistive technologies. She is involved in a series of multidisciplinary, collaborative research projects designed to enhance language development, improve literacy outcomes and enhance communicative competence for people who require AAC, and to improve the design of AAC technologies for individuals with significant speech and motor impairments.
Jennifer Maggs explores positive and negative consequences of alcohol in 2013 Pattishall Research Lecture- Jennifer Maggs, professor of human development and family studies, will present the 2013 Pattishall Research Lecture. Her lecture, titled "Alcohol, What is it Good For?" will be given at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, April 4, in the Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building. The event, sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development, is free and open to the public. Maggs' research bridges the fields of lifespan developmental science and substance use. In particular, she focuses on understanding the short-term and long-term consequences of alcohol use, using measurement burst designs that include both daily diary and longitudinal data. This work broadly contributes to research on the causes and consequences of adolescent risk behaviors."
- Pre-college talk between parents and teens lessens college drinking
- College students are significantly more likely to abstain from drinking or to drink only minimally when their parents follow the recommendations suggested in a parent handbook developed by Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State. "Over 90 percent of teens try alcohol outside the home before they graduate from high school," said Turrisi. "It is well known that fewer problems develop for every year that heavy drinking is delayed. Our research over the past decade shows that parents can play a powerful role in minimizing their teens' drinking during college when they talk to their teens about alcohol before they enter college."
- College enrollment does not lead to problem drinking in adulthood
- Despite the high levels of binge drinking that take place on college campuses, college enrollment does not lead to substance abuse problems later in adulthood, and it may actually prevent adult substance abuse among youth who would not be expected to attend college, according to researchers at Penn State.
- "College is often perceived as a risky environment for problem drinking, but seldom have people looked at the long-term consequences of attending college on substance-use patterns," said Stephanie Lanza, research associate professor of health and human development.
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