Centers and Institutes

The following are Institutes and Centers in which our Faculty are involved, covering the range from Biology to Materials.

• Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (IGC) is dedicated to fostering the highest quality education and research in cosmology, general relativity, gravitational wave astronomy, particle astrophysics, quantum gravity and string theory, focusing on the highest energy phenomena and fundamental issues in the Science of the Cosmos. At Penn State it has synergistic interactions with the Schreyer Honors College, the College of Information Science and Technology, the World University Network and four departments in the Eberly College of Science. Director: Abhay Ashketar
• Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics (CCGB) was established within the Institute for Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Its mission is to bring together laboratories applying bioinformatic and experimental approaches to find functional sequences within genomic DNA and to assign function to proteins. These projects effectively harvest the physiologically important parts of the bountiful genomic sequences currently being determined. Director: Ross Hardison
• Center for Geomechanics, Geofluids, and Geohazards crosses departmental boundaries and integrates current activities in rock and fluid physics. Earthquake nucleation and recurrence, the triggering and timing of volcanic eruptions, the dynamics of ice sheets, the fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater, and the generation of submarine landslides are all influenced by the interaction of rocks and fluids.
• Center for Neural Engineering is a university-wide Center, bridging the campuses and Colleges of Engineering and Science at University Park, with the College of Medicine at Hershey. It is housed within facilities of the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. The Center is positioned to facilitate and enable collaboration between faculty from the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, Materials Research, and Neuroscience Institutes at Penn State, and forms a physical conduit for faculty and students from across the Engineering Departments, the Integrative Biosciences Neuroscience Program, Physics, Mathematics, and Biology, as well as trainees and faculty from Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Psychiatry. The Center has resident core faculty, with a considerable number of faculty Affiliates drawn from University Park and Hershey. Director: Steven Schiff
• Center for Statistical Ecology and Environmental Statistics (CSEES) is a unit in the Department of Statistics of the Pennsylvania State University and was initiated under a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Pennsylvania State University. The Center is the first of its kind in the nation and in the world, and enjoys national and international reputation. In collaboration with interested agencies, institutions, and projects, the Center has an ongoing program of research that integrates statistics, ecology, and the environment. The emphasis is on individual and collaborative research, training, and exposition on improving the quantification and communication of man's impact on the environment. Major interest also lies in statistical investigations of the impact of the environment on man. Director: Ganapati Patil
• Center for the Study of Polymetric Systems is a prominent source for information on polymeric systems combining years of expertise and experienced leadership with detailed and dedicated student research.
• Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) links to a network of Centers located at academic institutions throughout the United States, funded by the National Science Foundation. This website provides organized connections to information and resources at the various MRSECs for the international scientific, industrial, and educational materials research and development communities. Director: Thomas Mallouk
• Materials Simulation Center (MSC) is a facility for education and research on materials simulation. It is designed to function as a hub to connect experimental and simulation activities through the organization of collaborative projects, short courses and workshops. For the experimentalist, the Center will provide the information needed to add a simulation component to their work. For groups already working on materials simulation, the Center will be a natural environment for interaction and extension of existing simulation techniques. Director: Jorge Sofo