Centers and Institutes (Undergraduate Programs)
Center for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics
Director: Steven Kahn, Ph.D.
1309 Faculty Administration Building
313-577-2558
http://clas.wayne.edu/ceem/
The Center for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is a research and educational center with a two-fold mission: to find ways to significantly improve the quality of K-12 and introductory college-level mathematics instruction across the United States; and, by using mathematics as a tool, to provide students from inner cities and underrepresented minority groups with the kinds of educational and lifetime opportunities that should be available to all students.
The Center currently operates five core programs: the WSU Math Corps, an outreach program serving Detroit middle and high school students; the WSU Middle and High School Math Network, which provides day to day instructional and/or operational resources to Detroit are a middle and high school math departments; the Math Corps Learning Community at WSU, a University support and retention program for Math Corps "kids" now attending WSU; and the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), a WSU honors-level calculus and pre-calculus program; and the Rising Scholars Program (RSP), serving WSU students at the developmental level.
Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies
Director: Jorge L. Chinea, Ph.D.
3324 Faculty/Admin. Bldg.
313-577-4378
https://las.wayne.edu/
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies is a multi-service unit engaged in teaching, research, and service. The Center plays an important role in the urban mission of Wayne State University and involves four components:
- The Center hosts two learning communities: the CBS Scholars Program and the College-to-Career Program. The first one recruits students into the University, facilitates their transition between high school and college, and promotes increased retention. The second program supports students through completion of their degrees and beyond, especially in the areas of career development and graduate school preparedness. It also offers courses and related educational activities for students interested in Latino and Latin American Studies.
- It promotes research on issues relevant to the Latino/a community, especially in the urban and workplace environment; and Latin American cultural studies and current issues.
- It creates and fosters the interaction and exchange of personnel and resources between the University and the Latino/a community; and it serves as a source of expertise on Latino issues to the larger metropolitan community.
- As an advocate for the awareness and advancement of Latino/a issues within the University, the Center contributes to the University's continuing efforts to create a richer multicultural campus environment.
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Director: Lawrence I. Grossman, Ph.D.
3127 Scott Hall, 540 E. Canfield
313-577-5323
https://genetics.wayne.edu/
The Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics is interdisciplinary by design, built around modern molecular genetics, and comprising basic researchers, physician-scientists, computational scientists, and genetic counselors. The diversity of the Center's members and their backgrounds enables activities that range from basic research to clinical genetics to translation to the bedside and, in some cases, to a biotech company. The underlying goal is excellence in molecular biology, molecular medicine, and genetics to increase the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease. The Center occupies over 28,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art space, including both open and closed laboratories, faculty offices, equipment and special procedure rooms, conference and interaction areas, and a server room to support the Center's faculty, staff and students.
Students in the Center participate in research on gene expression and regulation, including the role of DNA-protein interactions and DNA methylation; the structure, function, and evolution of genes; molecular cytogenetics, genome organization, and mammalian gene mapping; long non-coding RNA discovery and characterization; human reproductive biology; protein-protein interactions; cellular stress responses; mitochondrial biology and genetics; neuroscience and the genetic basis for neurological disease; computational biology and bioinformatics. Considerable emphasis is placed on human and mammalian model systems and on understanding human molecular genetic diseases.
Faculty members of the Center often invite undergraduate students to volunteer in their laboratories, which is an outstanding opportunity for undergraduates to gain experience. The Center encourages students to view the profiles of the faculty and directly contact a professor to inquire about volunteering. In addition, each summer the Center hosts an exclusive Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), from which many undergraduate students have moved on to prestigious universities and programs to pursue graduate degrees.
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Opportunities for research in Molecular Medicine and Genetics are available each summer as part of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics SURP. The program provides sophomore and junior undergraduate students with experience in the research laboratories of the Center, located at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Over the course of the summer students work in the laboratories of Center faculty members and attended weekly research seminars. When the program ends in August the students present their work to their mentors, peers, and the WSU research community at a symposium.
Center for Peace and Conflict Studies
Director: Pontus Leander, Ph.D.
2320 Faculty/Administration Building
313-577-3453
https://cpcs.wayne.edu/
On November 20, 1965, the Center for Teaching about War and Peace opened its doors under the leadership of Director Russell Broadhead and a committee of distinguished faculty members. The mission then was to provide interdisciplinary, University-wide, academic programs in the field of domestic and international conflict and peace issues. In 1987, the WSU Board of Governors, building upon this rich heritage, created the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.
The mission of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies is to develop and implement projects, programs, curricula, research, and publications in areas of scholarship related to international and domestic peace, war, social justice, arms control, globalization, multi-cultural awareness and constructive conflict resolution. The Center addresses this mission in three ways. CPCS supports undergraduate and graduate student excellence through its academic programs. CPCS staff and students engage in scholarly research initiatives on aspects of domestic and international conflict management. CPCS provides community outreach programs that emphasize: conflict resolution, development of inter-cultural understanding, and enhance local knowledge of global affairs.
Center for Urban Studies
Director: Lyke Thompson, Ph.D.
Managing Director: Charo Hulleza, M.P.A.
5700 Cass Avenue, Room 2207 Academic/Administration Building
313-577-2208
http://www.cus.wayne.edu
The Center for Urban Studies improves understanding of and provides innovative responses to urban challenges and opportunities. The Center conducts and disseminates research, develops policies and programs, and provides training, capacity-building, and technical assistance. The Center participates in defining and influencing local, regional, State, and urban policy. The Center's current initiatives have a real, substantial and lasting impact on Detroit's challenges across a number of areas ranging from crime reduction to healthy homes. Committed to serving Detroit and its metropolitan area, the Center exemplifies Wayne State's urban research and service mission. The Center employs a highly trained multi-disciplinary team consisting of social science Ph.D. and master's-level researchers, as well as WSU graduate and undergraduate students.
Center to Advance Palliative-Care Excellence (CAPEWAYNE)
4201 St. Antoine, Suite 5C-UHC
313-576-3997
http://www.capewayne.med.wayne.edu
CAPEWAYNE is an interdisciplinary academic center bringing together scholars, educators, researchers and clinicians dedicated to improving the quality of end-of-life care. The main focus areas of this center are education, research and clinical practice, all of which permeated by the field of humanities.
Education: The Center offers an end-of-life curriculum for students, trainees and clinicians across disciplines and levels of training.
Research: The Center gathers researchers who have a shared interest in the conduct of collaborative, interdisciplinary interdepartmental research. Current research projects include evaluating the impact of a palliative care curriculum, called the Compassionate Allies, sponsored by Seasons Hospice Foundation, on the skills and attitudes of pre-medical students.
Clinical Practice: The Center provides resources to clinicians across disciplines and settings that practice palliative care, through a paradigm of sharing and ensuring optimization of clinical care in our community.
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Director: Sharon Milberger, Sc.D.
Leonard Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue, Suite 268
313-577-2654 or 888-978-4334
https://ddi.wayne.edu/
The Developmental Disabilities Institute is one of a national network of over sixty University Affiliated Programs, nationally and in U.S. territories. The Institute’s mission is to contribute to the development of inclusive communities, which enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities and their families through a culturally-sensitive statewide program of interdisciplinary education, community support and services, and research and dissemination of information.
Staff and faculty engage in technical assistance, training, and research programs throughout Michigan via collaborative efforts with schools, community agencies, community colleges, and other Universities. Over 10,000 individuals with disabilities benefit from these activities annually. The Institute offers a wide range of opportunities for students and faculty to engage in state-of-the-art community-based research, education, and technical assistance.
The Institute develops activities and projects based on needs of persons with disabilities and the communities in which they live and work. The Community Advisory Council, composed of representatives of twenty-five key statewide organizations, meets bi-annually to provide information and assistance to Institute staff and faculty in establishing priorities and evaluating activities.
Humanities Center
Director: Jaime Goodrich, Ph.D.
2226 Faculty/Administration Building; 656 W. Kirby; 313-577-5471
https://humanities.wayne.edu/
The mission of the Humanities Center is to nurture interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and intradisciplinary work in the humanities and the arts through competitions, conferences, discussion groups and other programs for Wayne State's humanities and arts faculty and students, and for visiting scholars and artists. The Center promotes excellence in research and creative endeavors through rigorous peer review of proposals submitted to it for funding. By sponsoring programs that involve community participants, the Center supports the University's urban mission. Through its various programs, the Center brings humanists of diverse talents and interests together for conversation and collaboration, and fosters innovation and creativity across the humanistic disciplines.
The Humanities Center provides funding support to both faculty members and students. Two of the Center's most prominent faculty programs are the Marilyn Williamson Endowed Distinguished Faculty Fellowship (MWEDF) and an annual themed Faculty Fellowship Competition. The Center awards either one or two Williamson fellowships a year, each worth $20,000, depending on the funds available in the budget. Other faculty award programs include an annual themed the Faculty Fellowship Competition with between eight and ten recipients awarded up to $6,000 each. Prominent student programs are the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and the Graduate Travel program. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellow will receive $15,000 plus health care coverage if it is requested. Up to three smaller awards of $500 may be made at the discretion of the Center to applicants for the award. The Graduate Travel program encourages graduate students in the humanities and the arts to present their research or artistic work at national conferences and exhibitions by offering up to $300 in travel assistance to applicants. Please check the Humanities Center Web site for additional programs that provide funding opportunities for faculty.
Labor Studies Center
Director: Elizabeth Faue, Ph.D.
249 Walter P. Reuther Library, 5401 Cass Ave.
313-577-2191
https://labor.wayne.edu
The Labor Studies Center is a comprehensive labor education center committed to strengthening the capacity of organized labor to represent the needs and interests of workers, while at the same time strengthening the University’s interdisciplinary research and teaching on labor and labor relations issues. The Center’s primary areas of research and practice include: training and technical assistance to unions on labor relations and workplace issues; an undergraduate labor studies major and internship program; interventions to increase the organizational effectiveness of unions; the development and diffusion of constructive labor-management relations practices, particularly in the public sector; the formation and institutionalization of labor-community coalitions; and the impact of lean production systems on workers and labor relations practice in the North American auto industry.
Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
Director: Alissa Huth-Bocks, Ph.D.
71 East Ferry Ave.
313-664-2500
https://mpsi.wayne.edu/
The Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute focusing on urban children and families. It has a long and distinguished history as a research and educational institution, serving as a pioneer in the field of child development and early education. Since it became a part of Wayne State University in 1982, the Institute has encouraged collaborations among faculty from many departments within the University.
The Institute emphasizes research, research training and community engagement and service in the areas of children’s health and development. Current research strengths range from prenatal exposures and child development, infant mental health, cognitive development of high risk infants as well as adolescent health and development. The service programs of the Institute are an outgrowth of its research mission. MPSI operates one of the nation’s oldest preschools. Community outreach and engagement through MPSI’s Healthier Urban Families Program includes training of mental health workers who serve very young children in the care of public and non-profit agencies; consultation to education and child care organizations; workshops for teachers, parents and the public; and the annual Metropolitan Detroit Teen Conference.