Episode 6 – Examining Income Inequality In Pennsylvania: Why We Need More (And Better) Data

In this month’s episode, we spoke to Alexis Santos, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State, and David Saunders, Director of the Office of Health Equity for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, about different disparities throughout the Pennsylvania Commonwealth and how the lack of good data impacts what we understand about poverty and health inequities.

By |2025-11-05T09:24:47-05:00October 12, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 6 – Examining Income Inequality In Pennsylvania: Why We Need More (And Better) Data

Episode 5 – The Stigma Of The Opioid Crisis

What is there left to say about the opioid crisis that has not already been said? It’s claimed thousands of lives, torn apart families and communities, strained our country’s already fractured healthcare system, and cost the economy billions, perhaps trillions, of dollars. If burning a path through communities for the last twenty years was not enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many individuals and families to endure joblessness, potential homelessness, and other uncertainties, causing a spike in substance use and subsequently, overdoses.

By |2024-04-01T10:45:07-04:00August 31, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 5 – The Stigma Of The Opioid Crisis

Episode 4 – The Chronic Crisis Of Housing

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and unemployment benefits for many Americans decrease significantly at the end of July, many Americans will be unable to pay rents and mortgages and may face eviction. Given the severity of this particular crisis, July’s episode focuses on multiple issues related to housing in America, like the lack of affordable housing and housing as a means to improve overall health and well-being. In this episode, we spoke to Bryce Maretzki, Director of Policy and Planning for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Selena Ortiz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration as well as Demography, at Penn State.

By |2025-11-05T09:18:39-05:00June 6, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 4 – The Chronic Crisis Of Housing

Episode 3 – Health In Rural Communities

Pennsylvania is considered one of the most rural states in the nation, and is anchored by Pittsburgh in the southwestern and Philadelphia in the southeastern parts of the state. Across the nation, however, rural counties have much in common in terms of geographic isolation and significant challenges like access to economic development, transportation infrastructure, broadband services, healthcare services, and many others. As the U.S. continues to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, the inadequacy of our country’s healthcare system hangs heavily over rural communities and the people living in them.

By |2025-11-05T09:14:12-05:00May 29, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 3 – Health In Rural Communities

Episode 2 – Aging In America: Challenges And Opportunities

For this month’s episode, we spoke to Penn State’s Marty Sliwinski, PhD, Director of the Center for Healthy Aging and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Stephanie Cole, Director of Special Projects and Executive Assistant at the Office of the Secretary at Pennsylvania Department of Aging, about challenges and opportunities related to aging.

By |2025-11-05T09:12:11-05:00April 16, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 2 – Aging In America: Challenges And Opportunities

Episode 1 – Criminal Sentencing Guidelines

This week, we spoke to Penn State’s Jeff Ulmer, PhD, Professor of Sociology and Criminology, and Mark Bergstrom, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing about criminal sentencing guidelines. Sentencing guidelines are a set of standards that are generally put in place to establish rational and consistent sentencing practices within a particular jurisdiction.

By |2025-11-05T08:40:27-05:00March 17, 2020|Comments Off on Episode 1 – Criminal Sentencing Guidelines
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