Research
As the lifeblood of any academic institution, especially at a Tier One research university, research drives instruction. An experience that can’t be found at a two-year college, our students collaborate with faculty to tackle problems that impact our nation. Through these interactions with faculty research, our students build leadership, discipline, and decision-making and analytical skills that prepare them to be leaders in their chosen careers.
In the College of Liberal Arts, as determined by our Research Plan, our faculty are involved in a variety of research topics within the following five research strengths:
- Diversity and Society
- Governance, Social Institutions, and Behavior
- Culture and Change
- Transnationalism, Globalization, and the International Systems
- Health, Human Wellness, and Health Care
College of Liberal Arts Strategic Development Fund
The purpose of the Strategic Development Fund is to support collaborative initiatives that will significantly advance the development of areas of excellence in the College of Liberal Arts. The Office of the Dean has made significant funds available in order to pump-prime activities that will have a life beyond the duration of the funding, and that could generate external funding. Supported projects will lead to determinate deliverable outputs. Projects may be focused on scholarly research, educational initiatives, or creative/artistic activities.
The competition is intended to complement the ongoing strategic planning efforts in academic units. The planning process will identify distinctive areas of strength within and across academic units. This annual competition makes available funds for investment in those areas of strength.
2012 Strategic Development Fund Guidelines
Research Centers & Institutes
- Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation
- Center for the Study of the First Americans
- Glasscock Center for Humanities Research
- Institute of Nautical Archaeology
- Mexican American and U.S. Latino Research Center
- Public Policy Research Institute
- Race and Ethnic Studies Institute
Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series
The Fallon-Marshall Lecture was established by philanthropist Mary Marshall in 1994 as a discussion forum for issues in the humanities and social sciences. The annual lecture gives the College of Liberal Arts the opportunity to share examples of the exciting scholarship, research and creative activities that are being carried out within the College.
Noteworthy Research Projects and Programs
- Behavioral Neuroscience (psychology) – address the loss and recovery of function associated with aging, neurodegenerative disease and neural injury
- China Archive Survey and Education – seeks to build a robust online data collection of quantitative data on China and China-U.S. relations
- Digital Humanities Program – applies information technology to the humanities by developing innovative computer tools, digital collections, and hypertext archives
- Laboratory for Study of Social Deviance (sociology) - conducts large-scale studies of the causes and consequences of drug abuse and other deviant adaptations to stress
- Equity, Representation, and Governance Project (political science) - addresses a range of public administration issues, especially those involving the educational experiences of minority students
- Social Science Research Initiative – focusing on challenges that are shaped by social, cultural, demographic and technological changes, these disciplines address the determinants and consequences of human interaction
- Census Research Data Center Initiative (sociology) - building a broad-based consortium that can give researchers access to the unique research environment a census research data center can provide; a major first step in expanding social science research infrastructure