"Gender and Domestic Violence: Contemporary Legal Practice and Intervention Reforms," a new book edited and authored by Brenda Russell, professor of psychology at Penn State Berks, and John Hamel, licensed clinical social worker, practitioner, researcher, and editor-in-chief of the journal Partner Abuse, presents empirical research findings and reform recommendations for prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, policymakers, and intervention providers with the aim of rectifying shortcomings in legal and law enforcement responses to domestic violence.
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction recently hosted the first annual Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction Summit at University Park. The event brought in researchers, practitioners and government partners from across the nation to consider research, policy and practice around the issue of stigma reduction in numerous fields like criminal justice and healthcare.
The ninth annual Guts and Glory Digestive and Wellness Expo will be held on Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Penn State Berks. The expo was founded by the nonprofit My Gut Instinct and is sponsored by Penn State Health St. Joseph.
Two faculty members at Penn State Berks, Jennifer Murphy, associate professor and chair of the criminal justice department, and Brenda Russell, professor of psychology, had their stigma work with students showcased at Shatterproof’s Stigma of Addiction Summit earlier this summer. Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming addiction treatment, ending stigma, and supporting communities.
What happens when students in the Penn State Berks "Storytelling for Social Justice" course team up with Star City Boxing, a nonprofit community boxing and fitness program located in the City of Reading? The result is a published book titled “Stories from Star City Boxing,” a companion website, and two videos that tell the stories of the impact the organization has made on youth in the Greater Reading area.
Penn State students visited Washington, D.C. the weekend of April 1-3 as part of a trip planned by the Global Engagement Team within Penn State Global. The student group was a diverse mixture of students from across the commonwealth, with 30 domestic students and 145 international students representing 31 countries.
Penn State Berks hosted United Way’s "The Big Cheese" event on Friday, June 17. This year, more than 500 volunteers came together in the college's Beaver Athletic and Wellness Center to package 250,000 nutrient-fortified, mac-and-cheese meals for local families in need.
Penn State Berks is bringing fun back to campus with the return of in-person summer camps designed for middle- and high school-aged participants. The camps will be held on weekdays throughout the month of July.
Over the last year, Penn State Berks students partnered with local organizations to address a variety of issues centered around sustainability. Under the instruction of Mahsa Kazempour, associate professor of science education, who teaches the Environmental Science course, students worked in small groups for the Environmental Awareness and Community Action Project, a community-based, service-learning initiative that has been incorporated into the course by Kazempour since 2011.
This spring, a team from the Penn State Berks criminal justice degree program met with Pennsylvania State Sen. Judy Schwank and a Clare of Assisi House task force to discuss funding for programs that support women, particularly mothers returning to the community after incarceration.
