ALTOONA, Pa. — Riley Fegley and Lydia Newman, two former members of Penn State Altoona’s Integrated Social Science Research Lab (ISSRL), have been accepted into law school and awarded scholarships to attend.
Riley Fegley will attend Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle. She joined the ISSRL as a first-year student. After transferring to University Park to complete her degree in criminology, she continued her work at the lab by enrolling in independent study credits of criminal justice and sociology at Penn State Altoona.
Throughout her four years at the lab, Fegley took part in numerous research competitions placing in many of them, including the international American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) Division of Feminist Criminology’s (DFC) Undergraduate Student Research Paper Competition.
In November 2025, Fegley and research partner Yusra Haroon took first place for their study examining variables that influence college students’ understanding of consent and sexual assault and were recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“ASC is one of, if not the, largest criminological society in the world,” said Nathan E. Kruis, associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Altoona and co-director of the ISSRL. “The DFC is one of the largest divisions in ASC. Yusra and Riley winning this competition is a big deal for our college and our lab”
Most recently Fegley and her research partners took second place in the psychology category of the annual Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference held in Erie in April. Fegley was the team leader for their project titled, “College Students’ Pornography Consumption: Examining the Relationship Between Aggressive Pornography, Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA), and Mental Health.”
“My undergraduate experience beginning at Penn State Altoona is what I credit for my success in applying to law school. Having the opportunity to explore different classes through electives and option courses is what helped me discover my interest in the law. Penn State Altoona allowed me to foster close relationships with professors that contributed to my acceptance into law school.”
Fegley graduated in May.
Lydia Newman was accepted into Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg.
Newman graduated from Altoona in December 2024 with a degree in political science. She stayed on as an adviser through the end of the spring 2025 semester to help students with projects and competition preparation, including “Do Words Matter? Understanding the Impact of Language Used in the Substance Use Treatment Community on Those with Lived and Vicarious Experience.” The project took first place at two competitions this academic year.
Newman is a co-author on a paper with Kruis and other lab members that looks at American gun owners' use of secure storage mechanisms for their firearms and the predictors of safe storage. Kruis hopes the paper will be published this summer.
“Penn State Altoona provided me with opportunities that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere. The ISSRL not only taught me skills in research but also allowed me to master collaboration with peers and professors alike. The one-on-one relationships I was able to develop with professors was crucial to my academic success and my acceptance into law school.”
Newman also volunteers for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, conducting monthly visits and check-ins with inmates.
"I couldn't be more proud of Lydia and Riley,” Kruis said. “They are both hard workers and gifted academics, but more importantly, they are good people who want to become lawyers for the right reason — to help others. They have been role models and mentors in our lab, and now they are a visible testament to what is possible for students who are willing to put in the work."
The Integrated Social Science Research Lab is embedded in the criminal justice and sociology programs at Penn State Altoona. It is coordinated by Nathan E. Kruis, associate professor of criminal justice, and Nicholas J. Rowland, distinguished professor of sociology. The ISSRL is made possible by Penn State Altoona's Division of Business, Health, Humanities, and Social Sciences, headed by Nicholas L. Pyeatt, professor of political science.