Penn State homeland security professor helps set Guinness World Record

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State College of Medicine professor who teaches online through Penn State World Campus participated in setting a Guinness World Record.

Jennifer Osetek, who leads Penn State’s public health preparedness graduate program, traveled to Pittsburgh to participate in the event on April 24 during the NFL draft. She and her son were two of the 1,293 people who were trained in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to the American Heart Association, and certified by Guinness.

“I was really excited to participate in a world record attempt, especially one focused on a public health issue,” said Osetek, an assistant professor of public health sciences. “It also reinforced an important point for me. Many of the preparedness initiatives we study in our public health preparedness classes and see throughout our careers are large-scale efforts that often require significant resources. Learning CPR, however, is a simple and accessible way to be personally prepared to help in an emergency and potentially save someone's life.”

The American Heart Association organized the event alongside the NFL, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and social media influencer Doctor Mike.

More than half of people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not receive CPR before emergency responders arrive, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest affects approximately 350,000 people in the United States each year, and only about 10% survive.

Officials said hands-on CPR is a technique that only uses chest compressions and can be learned quickly and lead to improved survival outcomes during emergencies.

Penn State College of Medicine

Located on the campus of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Penn State College of Medicine boasts a portfolio of more than $146 million in funded research annually.

Projects range from the development of artificial organs and advanced diagnostics to groundbreaking cancer treatments and understanding the fundamental causes of disease. Enrolling its first students in 1967, the College of Medicine has more than 1,800 students and trainees in medicine, nursing, other health professions, and biomedical research in both Hershey and State College.

A Penn State education online

Penn State’s public health preparedness program is offered exclusively online through Penn State World Campus by the College of Medicine. It consists of the public health preparedness option of the master’s degree in homeland security and graduate certificates in hospital and health system preparedness and public health preparedness.

These credentials are among the comprehensive selection of more than 200 Penn State degrees and certificates that can be earned online through Penn State World Campus.