Daily Archives: October 11, 2021

Research team to survey Penn State community about COVID-19 behaviors and vaccine hesitancy

By: Bradley Long

A research project conducted jointly by the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State University Libraries will assess COVID-19 beliefs, including vaccine hesitancy, throughout the Penn State community. A team of student researchers will survey students, employees and recent graduates (spring 2020 and later) about their attitudes, beliefs and methods of gathering information about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. A survey will be available from October 11 to November 19 on the REDCap secure web platform. The link to the survey is: https://redcap.link/covid-info. All survey participants will remain anonymous and no identifying information will be requested. The survey can be accessed on mobile devices, tablets and computers.

“The information obtained through surveying such a large and diverse community will help researchers understand the impact of misinformation during a pandemic,” said Ryan Murphy, one of two second-year medical students at the College of Medicine who comprise the research team. “Large amounts of information and research regarding the pandemic are made available daily, so it is important to gauge how people are gathering information about the virus and vaccinations, as well as their trust in information regarding the pandemic.”

“The survey results will help increase understanding of how methods of gathering COVID-19 information correlate with health-promoting behaviors like mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing, and vaccination,” added Lauren Pomerantz, the second team member. “They will also help us understand how infodemic-related information from Penn State — that which is aimed at countering false or misleading information — is influencing pandemic-related behaviors and vaccine hesitancy across all campuses. Finally, the results may help to identify any areas for improvement in responding to the pandemic.”

Bradley Long, embedded health sciences librarian at the College of Medicine’s Harrell Health Sciences Library and adviser to the student researchers, notes that some of the information circulating about COVID-19 since early last year has been either misleading or inaccurate.

“Our goal is to try to better identify how this information overload has influenced the beliefs and behaviors, including vaccine hesitancy, of our fellow Penn Staters,” Long said.

Survey participants are eligible for a random drawing to win one of fifteen $10 gift cards to either Starbucks or Panera Bread. One grand prize of a $30 Grubhub gift card will also be awarded.

The research project is funded by a University Libraries Faculty Organization grant. For more information, contact Brad Long at blong3@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.

Guide to preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam

By: Linda Musser

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (P.E.). It is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program. The exam tests general engineering knowledge in various categories such as mathematics, physics, and so on.

This guide provides details about the FE exam and describes information resources to help students prepare for the exam. The guide is available at https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/FEexam

Tech Tip: Duo Mobile app to get new look Oct 11

By: Ryan Johnson

Duo Mobile app screenshot for tech tip

Duo Mobile, the app used by Penn State for two-factor authentication, will soon release version 4.0.0 for iOS and Android devices. The new version will be rolled out to the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices starting Oct. 11.

The new version brings changes to the current interface that include:

  • Updated positioning of the “approve”/“deny” buttons for Duo Push so that “approve” is on the right, a more natural location.
  • Improved accessibility of the app, including the addition of a landscape view, variable font sizes, and improved color contrast.
  • A more intuitive enrollment process.
  • A simpler interface with features that make managing accounts easier, including the ability to add an account nickname within the app.

The core functionality of the app is not changing. Users will still be able to receive a Duo Push, generate passcodes, add or remove accounts, and do anything else the current version of the app does.

Upon release, Duo will no longer provide troubleshooting support or bug fixes for any 3.x.x version of the app, though these versions will continue to work normally after the release of version 4.0.0.

Penn State students, employees and other affiliates who use the Duo Mobile app are encouraged to visit Duo’s YouTube channel to watch a brief video regarding the changes. Additional information is available on Duo’s website.

3 Stress-Management Techniques for Front Line Workers

By: Behavior Science and Mental Health Experts at Johnson & Johnson
Submitted by Carmen Gass

In this video, Gahan Pandina, who is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Director and Compound Development Team Leader at Janssen Research & Development, describes how stress can affect your thoughts, emotions, and physical body. Chronic stress, like you may be experiencing now, can have serious effects on our physical and mental health. But calming practices used in the moment can help reduce those effects. Watch the video here.