Penn State’s School of Public Policy hosted its second annual Local Government Expo on Oct. 24, with more than 70 students and local government representatives coming together for a day of career exploration, professional networking, and hands-on policy learning.

Penn State Assistant Professor of Sociology and Public Policy Sarah Brothers is the author of the new book, “Hit Doctors: Care, Harm, and the Art of Survival,” which examines the uncredentialed expertise of people who inject drugs for fellow drug users, usually for a few dollars or a share of drugs.

Nora Reikosky has joined Penn State’s Rock Ethics Institute as assistant director, bringing a research agenda focused on the influence of private power on public institutions and a professional background spanning academia, education and the private sector.

Penn State Votes’ Ballot Buddy Block Party is a student-designed fun fair that offers nonpartisan civic education to encourage students to understand, embrace and exercise their “low effort, high impact” voting rights.

The Master of Public Policy program in Penn State’s School of Public Policy was recently granted accreditation by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials joined representatives from local, state and federal government, nonprofit, and private sectors for a Sept. 9 discussion hosted by the School of Public Policy.

Fourth-year student Odessa Dando combines classroom and extracurricular experiences to help guide her future career plans in government affairs.

Five Penn State faculty members were recently named Social Science Research Institute Mid-Career Research-Practice Partnership Faculty Fellows for 2026–27.

The Social Science Research Institute’s Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships unit recently awarded six seed grants to support interdisciplinary community-engaged research.

Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy, is the recipient of the American Sociological Association’s inaugural Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship.