Western Kentucky University

Applied Research Centers

Advanced Materials Institute

The Advanced Materials Institute (AMI) coordinates and promotes educational, research and public service activities for various groups in WKU’s Department of Chemistry, Department of Geography and Geology, other Ogden College of Science and Engineering Departments, as well as external constituents.

      Director:  Aaron Celestian

Agriculture Research and Education Complex

AREC focuses on the areas of Turf Grass management, livestock and forages, and plant science.

      Director:  Linda Gonzales

Applied Physics Institute

The Applied Physics Institute is a multidisciplinary research center. API researchers use fundamental physics principles to address research issues of technological importance at the frontiers of science and engineering. Research areas include nuclear physics, nanoscale physics, material science, and electronics.

      Director:  Vladimir Dobrokhotov

 Applied Statistics Center

The Applied Statistics Center provides students with hands-on experience by allowing them to work on projects and participate in different stages of research and statistical consulting.

      Co-Directors: Melanie Autin and Ngoc Nguyen

 

Architectural and Manufacturing Science Institute

The AMSI customizes services to specifically meet the architectural and manufacturing needs of its clientele.

      Director:  Neal Downing


Astrophysics and Space Science (Institute)

The Institute for Astrophysics and Space Science conducts research int the brightness variations in Active Galactic Nuclei, the composition and structure of extragalactic jet, and detection of extra solar planets.

      Director: Mike Carini

Biodiversity Center

The Center for Biodiversity Studies provides expertise in terrestrial and acquatic ecology, taxonomy and systematics, evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, geographic information systems, database management, and ecoinformatics.

      Director:  Scott Grubbs

Bioinformatics & Information Science Center

The BISC mission is to build an interdisciplinary faculty and student community that will collaborate and solve problems in bioinformatics and information science.

      Director:  Claire Rinehart

Biotechnology Center

The Biotechnology Center has state–of–the–art instrumentation for performing DNA sequencing, microsatellite analysis, real–time PCR and computer facilities for bioinformatics.

      Director:  Kenneth Crawford

Center for Gerontology

The Center for Gerontology at WKU is guided by the belief that healthy aging is attainable on both the individual and community level and requires implementing holistic strategies.

     Director: Dana Bradley

Center for Water Resource Studies (CWRS)

CWRS serves to focus resources and expertise to improve water quality, public health and environmental health.

      Director:  Andrew Ernest

Engineering, Manufacturing, and Commercialization Center (EMCC)

The EMC Center uses the expertise of the Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering faculty and Advanced Manufacturing faculty to help design, build, and test innovations.

       Director:  Stacy Wilson

High Performance Computing Center

The High Performance Computing Center provides a resource to clients needing access to high performance computing capabilities.

     Co-Directors: Claire Rinehart and Uta Ziegler

Hoffman Environmental Research Institute

The HERI offers expertise and research programs in geographic Information Systems, geochemistry, hydrogeology and drinking water source protection, with an emphasis in karst flow systems.

       Director:  Chris Groves

Institute for Astrophysics and Space Science

The IASS conducts research into the brightness variations in Active Galactic Nuclei, the composition and structure of extragalactic jet, and detection of extra solar planets.

       Director:  Michael Carini

Institute for Combustion Science and Environmental Technology

The Combustion Lab has built an international reputation in energy-related research. The Lab studies the environmental aspects of energy production.

      Director:  Wei-Ping Pan

Kentucky Climate Center

The Kentucky Climate Center serves the public and the university by directing existing statewide climatology programs and services and by assisting academic researchers involved in meteorology-related work.

      Director:  Stuart Foster

Social Science Research Center (SSRC)

The Social Science Research Center (SSRC) provides an outlet for the conduct of social scientific research, including social surveys, political polls, evaluation research projects, and marketing research projects. The SSRC has the resources to develop simple or sophisticated sampling designs and to collect social scientific data using mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, web-based questionnaires, focus groups, or in-person interviews.

     Director: Jerry Daday

 

WKU NOVA Center

The NOVA Center houses the Large Chamber Scanning Electron Microscope which can perform scientific, microscopic analysis of extremely large samples.

     Director: Edward Kintzel

 Last Modified 5/2/13