UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Eight Penn State faculty-student teams are partnering with community organizations across Pennsylvania to address locally identified challenges — from health access and food security to public safety, education and responsible technology use.

Called Impact Teams, the groups are the newest recipients of the McCourtney Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), a program developed under the Presidential Strategic Initiative for Public Impact Research in partnership with the Office of the President, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research and the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC).

The latest Impact Teams represent the third cohort of the program, which was established in 2024 and recognized by the national ARIS Impact Innovation Award earlier this year. Through these partnerships, faculty, students and community organizations work together to develop practical knowledge and approaches that can improve lives in communities across the commonwealth. PPIRA supports community-engaged, evidence-informed research that connects Penn State expertise with the knowledge, priorities and experience of community partners. The projects also give students opportunities to contribute as researchers, build professional skills and help translate evidence into action.

“The next generation of PPIRA projects reflects the continued growth of a program designed to bring research and community needs together,” said Michael Donovan, associate director of the EIC, the primary unit behind the program administration and evaluation. “As PPIRA continues to expand, we look forward to supporting new ideas, strengthening community partnerships and creating more opportunities for students to see how research can make a difference beyond the University.”

The newly selected Impact Teams represent a diverse range of disciplines and community partnerships, each working to develop evidence-informed solutions for the commonwealth and country, according to Donovan.

“The Presidential Public Impact Research Award represents Penn State’s commitment to research that moves beyond the University and creates meaningful change in communities,” said Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read. “These project teams bring together researchers, students, and community partners who are taking on complex challenges and turning knowledge into impact. We are excited to support this next group of projects and see where their work leads.” 

As the PPIRA program continues to grow, each new cohort expands Penn State's ability to address complex public challenges through collaborative, community-centered research in service of the public good, according to Donovan.

“By supporting faculty, students and community organizations working together, the program strengthens the University's commitment to producing research that creates lasting benefits for communities in Pennsylvania and well beyond,” Donovan said.

The third cohort Impact Teams are:

• “YPAR in This Jawn: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Approaches to Advancing Health Equity Through Mobile Clinics in North Philadelphia”
  • Faculty: Katrina Black Reed, assistant professor of recreation, parks, and tourism management, Penn State Abington; Jamison Malcolm, director, Keystone Community Partnerships, Penn State Outreach
  • Campus/unit: Abington, Outreach
  • Community partner: One Day at a Time (ODAAT)
• “Community Scholars’ Learning Laboratory"
  • Faculty: Michelle Cook, assistant professor of special education, elementary and early childhood education, Penn State Behrend; Pat Kelly, lecturer in math education, secondary education in mathematics, mathematics, and elementary and early childhood education programs, Penn State Behrend
  • Campus: Behrend
  • Community partner: Eagle’s Nest Program of Academic Distinction, Erie Public Schools
• “Advancing AI Health Literacy Among Older Adults in Pennsylvania Through Community-Engaged Education”
  • Faculty: Sara Imanpour, assistant professor of health administration, Penn State Harrisburg; Seth Wright, assistant teaching professor of political science and public policy, Penn State Harrisburg; Ana Patricia Aguilera-Hermida, associate teaching professor of human development and family studies, Penn State Harrisburg
  • Campus: Harrisburg
  • Community partners: The Salvation Army, YMCA, Latino Hispanic American Community Center and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
• “Voices of the Commonwealth: Community Perspectives on AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Digital Opportunity in Pennsylvania”
  • Faculty: Tiffany Petricini, associate teaching professor, media and communication, Penn State Behrend; Thomas Deau, lecturer, media and communication, Penn State Behrend; Russell Martin, assistant teaching professor, computer science and software engineering, Penn State Behrend
  • Campus: Behrend
  • Community partner: Fifth Estate Growers LLC
• “Leveraging a Water Quality Monitoring Program to Improve Detection of Harmful Algal Blooms”
  • Faculty: Sarah Princiotta, associate professor of biology, Penn State Berks; Justin DiAngelo, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Penn State Berks
  • Campus: Berks
  • Community partner: Pocono Lake Ecological Observatory Network (PLEON)
• “Supporting Multilingual Reading Development Through School-University Partnerships and Human-Centered AI Tools”
  • Faculty: Roxanna Senyshyn, associate professor of applied linguistics and communication arts and sciences and professor-in-charge of ESL certification, Penn State Abington; Teri Dodaro, lecturer and field experience coordinator, elementary and early childhood education program, Penn State Abington
  • Campus: Abington
  • Community partner: Solis-Cohen Elementary School, School District of Philadelphia
• “Zoning Out or Zoning In? Policy Effectiveness and Local Outcomes of Right to Farm Legislation”
  • Faculty: Nonna Sorokina, associate professor, business, Penn State Scranton; Maung Min, professor of teaching and director of business programs, Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Campuses: Scranton, Lehigh Valley
  • Community partner: Invest in Future Development Research and Education (IFDRE)
• “When ‘Soft’ Skills Aren’t so Soft: Helping School Administrators Navigate Tough Community Conversations, Reduce Conflict and Combat Cancel-Culture Amidst Heightened Political and Social Polarization”
  • Faculty: Nicole Stokes, professor of sociology at Penn State Abington, and associate director, Social Science Research Institute (SSRI); Michael Bernstein, Professor of Social Psychology, Penn State Abington
  • Campus: Abington
  • Community partner: The Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PACIE)

The PPIRA awards are supported by Tracy and Ted McCourtney, two of Penn State’s most generous supporters. Their support creates an enduring source of funding for faculty researchers who work alongside community partners to translate research and expertise into solutions that serve the public good. According to Donovan, this visionary support for the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative will help provide the people, resources and tools necessary to move research into action, while the endowed nature of the McCourtneys’ gift will ensure this work continues for generations to come.

The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) is a research center and information hub dedicated to improving how research evidence is generated, shared, and used to improve societal well-being. As a center within Penn State's Social Science Research Institute, supported by the College of Health and Human Development, the EIC advances research on program evaluation, administrative data, policymaker engagement and evidence use to maximize public impact. The PPIRA Program is an initiative of the Presidential Strategic Initiative on Public Impact Research.

About philanthropy at Penn State

Support for research advances the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the Commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.