![Initial COVID-19 infection rate may be 80 times greater than originally reported](/sites/default/files/news/COVID19ARLIST.jpg)
Initial COVID-19 infection rate may be 80 times greater than originally reported
A new study from Penn State tracked excess influenza-like illness data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to estimate that the number of early COVID-19 cases in the U.S. may have been more than 80 times greater and doubled nearly twice as fast as originally believed.
![Two College of IST faculty members earn Amazon Research Awards](/sites/default/files/news/Wang-Xing-News.jpg)
Two College of IST faculty members earn Amazon Research Awards
Professor James Wang and Assistant Professor Xinyu Xing — both from the College of Information Sciences and Technology — are among 51 computing experts representing 39 universities worldwide to receive 2019 Amazon Research Awards.
![Understanding trade-offs between connectedness and online privacy during crises](/sites/default/files/news/face-mask-railway-station.jpg)
Understanding trade-offs between connectedness and online privacy during crises
A new grant is helping researchers explore how attitudes toward privacy change during times of crises, and whether oversharing has been expedited or even encouraged during the coronavirus pandemic.
![IST seed grants support tech projects related to COVID-19](/sites/default/files/news/fusion-medical-animation-EAgGqOiDDMg-unsplash.jpg)
IST seed grants support tech projects related to COVID-19
The College of Information Sciences and Technology recently announced six projects that will receive funding from the college’s seed grant program. Each project will take different approaches to tackle various challenges and needs related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
![Human and AI annotations aim to improve scholarly results in COVID-19 searches](/sites/default/files/news/23311.jpg)
Human and AI annotations aim to improve scholarly results in COVID-19 searches
Seed funding provided by the Huck Institute of the Life Sciences and the Institute for Computational and Data Science is supporting two research teams from the College of Information Sciences and Technology in their efforts to provide faster and more efficient search results to COVID-19 research queries.
![Seed grants jump-start 47 interdisciplinary teams to conduct COVID-19 research](/sites/default/files/news/fusion-medical-animation-EAgGqOiDDMg-unsplash.jpg)
Seed grants jump-start 47 interdisciplinary teams to conduct COVID-19 research
With speed and ingenuity, more than 100 researchers across Penn State are shifting their research programs to address the COVID-19 crisis, thanks to funding from a seed grant initiative led by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.
![Teams’ technology tools may give researchers a boost in quest to stop COVID-19](/sites/default/files/news/COVID19ARLIST.jpg)
Teams’ technology tools may give researchers a boost in quest to stop COVID-19
Teams of Penn State data scientists and students, including ones led by the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), recently developed tools that they hope will help researchers better understand — and potentially stop — the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
![Schreyer Honors scholar applies neural networks to better predict severe storms](/sites/default/files/news/Bradley2.jpg)
Schreyer Honors scholar applies neural networks to better predict severe storms
As part of his honors thesis, a Penn State and Schreyer Honors student is researching data that could help increase preparation time for severe storm systems.
![Profit-prediction system may lower suicide rates among indebted Indian farmers](/sites/default/files/news/grain-harvest-wheat.jpg)
Profit-prediction system may lower suicide rates among indebted Indian farmers
Researchers from the College of Information Sciences and Technology are taking steps to address the alarming rate of suicides among indebted farmers in India, by developing a deep-learning algorithm as the first step in a decision-support system that could predict future market values of crops.
![New research center will focus on socially responsible artificial intelligence](/sites/default/files/news/AI%20and%20Big%20Data.jpg)
New research center will focus on socially responsible artificial intelligence
Penn State has launched the Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence, a multi-unit research center that promotes the thoughtful development and application of AI and studies its impact on all areas of human endeavor.
![Penn State receives five-year $3.7 million grant to study virus evolution](/sites/default/files/news/virus.jpg)
Penn State receives five-year $3.7 million grant to study virus evolution
The evolution of viruses will be the focus of a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s new program on convergence research, to an interdisciplinary team led by Penn State. The grant is in two phases, depending on successful completion of phase one milestones.
![Using machine learning to reduce traffic congestion](/sites/default/files/news/cars-traffic-city.jpg)
Using machine learning to reduce traffic congestion
Researchers in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology are advancing work that utilizes machine learning methods to improve traffic signal control at urban intersections around the world.
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The impacts of automation and AI on the next WPSU 'Digging Deeper'
Penn State President Eric Barron and a pair of University experts will discuss the impacts of automation and artificial intelligence during the next episode of WPSU Penn State’s “Digging Deeper” on Sunday, Jan. 26.