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Editor:
Tonya Allen
allen@pop.psu.edu
PRInformation
Spring 2007
Faculty Focus
New Research Associate |
Susan M. McHale (PhD, Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1979), professor of human development and family studies. Research interests: Family relationships and family roles (particularly gender roles) in childhood and adolescence; differential socialization of siblings.
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New Research Affiliate |
John Moran (PhD, Economics, The Pennsylvania State University, 1997), assistant professor of health policy and administration. Research interests: Health insurance; hospital care for children; use of medical care by the elderly; alcohol and tobacco policy.
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Promotions
Dr. Paul Amato, to Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. George Farkas, professor of sociology, demography, and education and director, PRI Statistics Core, was appointed Fellow, Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford University.
Dr. Roger Finke, professor of sociology and religious studies and director of the Association of Religious Data Archives, has been named Chair of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture, 2006 to present.
Dr. Glenn Firebaugh, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography and College of the Liberal Arts Research Professor, was appointed Fellow, Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford University.
Dr. Constance Flanagan, professor of agricultural and extension education, has been named Fellow, Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State, "Social Justice and the Economy," 2006-2007.
Dr. Jennifer Lynn Hook, assistant professor of sociology, received the Penn State College of Liberal Arts Roy C. Buck Award for a significant publication by an untenured faculty member for her article, "Care in Context: Men's Unpaid Work in 20 Countries, 1965-2003" (2006, American Sociological Review 71(4):639-660).
Dr. Elias Mpofu, professor of rehabilitation services, received the National Council on Rehabilitation Education's (NCRE) Researcher of the Year award, which is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the rehabilitation literature..
Dr. Suet-ling Pong, professor of education, sociology and demography, was awarded a Fulbright grant for research abroad in the 2006-07 academic year, to research "Mainland Chinese Immigration to Hong Kong: Implications for Family Effects on Children's Education," Hong Kong.
Dr. Darrell Steffensmeier, professor of sociology and crime, law and justice, was one of four recipients of the 2007 Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement. This award recognizes scholarly or creative excellence represented by a single contribution or a series of contributions around a coherent theme. Dr. Steffensmeier was awarded the social and behavioral sciences medal.
Invited Speakers
Dr. Paul Amato, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography, gave the following invited presentations: "How Marriage in America is Changing," Mary Low Family Policy Lecture, Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, February, 2007; "The Consequences of Divorce for Parents and Children," European Society on Family Relations, Darmstadt, Germany, September, 2006; "Reducing Nonmarital Births and Strengthening Marriage to Reduce Poverty," Conference on Poverty Policies, Princeton University, October, 2006; and "Marital Conflict, Divorce, and Children's Well-Being: Results from a 20-Year Study of Two Generations," International Conference on Children and Families, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, October, 2006.
Dr. Robert Drago, professor of labor studies and industrial relations and women's studies, presented Colloquy, "Celebrating Women's Advancement in the Academy," Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, March 2007; "Challenges of Raising a Family in Academia," Keynote address for Rutgers Council of AAUP-AFT, "Issues in Work and Family," Rutgers University, Newark campus, February 2007, New Brunswick campus, October 2006; and "Work-Family Issues for Faculty: Problems, Opportunities and Policies," Faculty Development and Diversity lecture, Harvard University, November 2006.
Dr. George Farkas, professor of sociology, demography, and education and director, PRI Statistics Core, spoke on "Standardized Testing and School Accountability" on WPSU's World of Difference radio and television program, November 14, 2006.
Dr. Roger Finke, professor of sociology and religious studies and director of the Association of Religious Data Archives, presented "Clashing Civilizations or Regulated Religious Economies: Explaining Cross-National Religious Persecution" as part of the Comparative Religion Speaker Series at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, February 16, 2007 (co-sponsored by the Center for European Studies and the Political Science Department); and gave the Mattingly Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture, Nebraska Wesleyan University, November 16, 2006, speaking on "How the Upstart Sects Won America: The Innovations and Demands of 19th Century Methodists."
Dr. Deborah R. Graefe, PRI research associate, presented "Tough Rules, Tough Love? Why States Don't Race to the Bottom of TANF Policy," Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center Seminar Series, Ithaca, NY, February 8, 2007; and "The Push for Marriage: Young Adults' Union Formation Patterns since PRWORA" (with Dr. Daniel T. Lichter), at the Administration for Children and Families' 9th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference, Arlington, VA, June 5, 2006.
Dr. Brian J. Grim, PRI research affiliate, presented "Measurement and Statistical Analysis of Human Rights: A Model," invited presentation to the Washington Statistical Society, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC, March 6, 2007; and "Spatial and Global Analysis of Religious Regulation and Persecution," invited presentation, U.S. State Department, Washington, DC, October 26, 2006.
Dr. Valarie King, associate professor of sociology, demography, and human development and family studies, was invited speaker at the Cornell Evolving Family Conference: New Data on Fathers: An Examination of Recent Trends in Fatherhood and Father Involvement, Cornell University, September 21, 2006. Her presentation was entitled "Understanding the Impact of Fathers on Child Development."
Dr. Stephen Matthews, associate professor of sociology, anthropology and demography and director of the GIA Core, presented "Measuring Neighborhood Contexts," invited presentation at The Center for Human Development and Family Research in Diverse Contexts 2007 Spring Symposium on "Do You Know the People in Your Neighborhood? The Science of Diverse Community Contexts," April 16, 2007.
Dr. Eric Plutzer, professor of political science and sociology and Academic Director, Survey Research Center, presented "From Dollars to Darwin: How Public Opinion and Institutions Shape Education Policies," invited lecture at Harvard University, Program on Education Policy and Governance, Kennedy School of Government, November 1, 2006.
Dr. Suet-ling Pong, professor of education, sociology and demography, presented "The Role of Grandparents in Children's Education in Taiwan," at the Johns Hopkins University Sociology Department and Center for the Social Organization of Schools (CSOS), December 8, 2006.
Leaves of Absence
Dr. Robert W. Drago, professor of labor studies and employment relations and women's studies, to conduct an analysis comparing time use across lower- and higher-income Americans by gender and race/ethnicity using data from the American Time Use Survey.
Dr. David J. Eggebeen, associate professor of human development and family studies, sociology, and demography, to complete a book on social change in the American family, and to write a grant proposal on the relationship between religious experiences and beliefs of young adults and their family behavior.
Dr. Gary King, associate professor of biobehavioral health, to conduct collaborative research on tobacco use in France at L'Institut national de prévention et d'éducation pour la santé (INPES) in Paris.
Dr. Eric Silver, associate professor of crime, law and justice, and sociology, to write research articles examining stress as a cause of problem behavior among late adolescent males and females, using newly collected data from the Icelandic National Survey of 16 to 20 year olds.
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