Research Centers & Institutes
SHSU Centers and Institutes are collaborative research and engagement units that support interdisciplinary scholarship, sponsored projects, and partnerships beyond the classroom. They serve as engines for innovation, bringing together faculty, students, and external stakeholders to advance research, education, and service initiatives with local, regional, and national impact.
Research
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Assessment, Research, and Educational Safety (CARES) | College of Education | Matt Fuller | The Center for Assessment, Research, and Educational Safety (C.A.R.E.S.) advances the safety and well-being of educational communities through research in threat assessment, behavioral health, and safety practices. By integrating research with proactive training, it equips educators and stakeholders to create supportive, secure environments, emphasizing both prevention and effective response to crises impacting education. |
| Center for Research Excellence and Innovation | College of Education | The Center for Research Excellence and Innovation (CREI), established in 2022 within the College of Education and now partnered with the College of Health Sciences, supports SHSU’s commitment to academic excellence and visibility. It equips faculty, staff, and students with the skills to conduct, analyze, and share ethical research, while strengthening their ability to develop competitive grant proposals. | |
| COM Medical Artificial Intelligence Institute | College of Osteopathic Medicine | Vinoth Sittaramane | The SHSU-COM has announced the creation of a new Medical Artificial Intelligence Institute, an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to advancing the integration of ethical, innovative and patient-centered artificial intelligence (AI) into medical education, research and clinical practice. |
| Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center (CFIC) | Department of Computer Science | Rob Greenberg | The Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center (CFIC) brings together leading industry participants, practitioners, and faculty members from a variety of disciplines to research cyber forensic and digital security topics that are of interest to governmental, commercial and legal communities. |
| Center for Advancing Neuro-Design for Learning Environments (CANDLE) | College of Education | Stacey Victor | The Center Advancing Neuro-Design for Learning Environments (CANDLE) is a high-impact, self-sustaining administrative unit that creates a synergistic new era of the impact of environments, design, and space on teaching, learning, and outcomes. CANDLE synchronizes and complements the College’s existing expertise across centers in School Safety, Research, Special Populations, and Trauma-Informed Practice. |
| Strategic Education and Research Vision for Excellence (SERVE) Center | College of Education | Abbie Strunc | The Strategic Education and Research Vision for Excellence (SERVE) Center will serve as a statewide hub for high-quality, accessible professional development for Texas educators. Housed in the College of Education, the SERVE Center will leverage SHSU faculty expertise to deliver low-cost micro-credentials and targeted professional development aligned with TEA standards and emerging state priorities. |
Research & Community Outreach/Education
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for the Study of Disasters & Emergency Management (CDEM) | Department of Political Science | Jason Enia | The Center for the Study of Disasters & Emergency Management (CDEM) serves as an interdisciplinary anchor for scholars at SHSU working on issues related to disasters, emergency management, and community resilience. CDEM creates a structural identity to facilitate external grant acquisition, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy-relevant research. |
| Center for Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship (CITE) | College of Business Administration | The Center of Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship (CITE) at SHSU helps customers and partners access world-class business technology, resources, and processes through research, consulting, training, and teaching. By investigating, evaluating, and developing technologies, systems, and processes, we can assist in developing robust solutions to current business problems. | |
| Gibson D. Lewis Center for Business and Economic Development | College of Business Administration | Christian Raschke | The Gibson D. Lewis Center for Business and Economic Development promotes economic growth and data-driven economic decision-making through education, research, and outreach. We aim to be a hub for innovation, research, and data analysis that leverages our university resources to support sustainable economic development in our region, the state of Texas, and beyond. |
| Texas Invasive Species Institute (TISI) | Academic Affairs | Autumn Smith-Herron | The Texas Invasive Species Institute (T.I.S.I.) is the first comprehensive effort in Texas that is focused on research and coordinating the effective early detection and rapid response to multiple new invasive species that currently impact, or have the potential to impact, ecosystems and produce major economic effects. |
Research & Workforce Training/Professional Development
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Multicultural Rural Development | College of Humanities & Social Sciences | The Center for Multi-Cultural Rural Development (CMRD) at SHSU focuses on advancing knowledge regarding the social, demographic, economic, political, and cultural aspects of rural life in Texas and beyond, offering internships for students. | |
| Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and Innovation (IFRTI) | College of Criminal Justice | The Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and Innovation (IFRTI)'s principal goal is to promote interdisciplinary forensic research and encourage academic-industrial partnerships and training that serve the needs of the forensic community and its stakeholders. | |
| Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) | College of Criminal Justice | The Gibson D. Lewis Center for Business and Economic Development promotes economic growth and data-driven economic decision-making through education, research, and outreach. We aim to be a hub for innovation, research, and data analysis that leverages our university resources to support sustainable economic development in our region, the state of Texas, and beyond. | |
| Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility | College of Criminal Justice | Sheree Hughes | The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility serves as a nationally recognized human decomposition research and training center under the SHSU College of Criminal Justice. It functions as a living laboratory, integrating research, applied education, and professional service for students, faculty, and external agencies. |
Workforce Training & Development
Workforce Training/Professional Development
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Music Education | School of Music | The Center for Music Education supports practicing teachers and graduate study by connecting educators, performers, and scholars. The Center provides professional development sessions, extended summer workshops, school presentations, and mentoring for young teachers. It also offers consulting for organizations and publishes Praxis, a biannual online journal for music educators. | |
| Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) | College of Criminal Justice | Established in 1994, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) provides professional education, management development, and specialized training for personnel in juvenile and adult corrections. Led by founding director Dan Richard Beto, the institute focuses on strengthening leadership and operations across community and institutional correctional agencies. | |
Workforce Training/Professional Development and Research
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institute of Homeland Security (HIS) | College of Criminal Justice | The Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at SHSU is dedicated to protecting critical infrastructure and supporting commerce through innovative research, education, and strategic partnerships. Our mission is to deliver actionable, value-added knowledge tailored to the needs of both industry and government. | |
| Crime Victims’ Institute (CVI) | College of Criminal Justice |
|
|
Workforce Training/Professional Development and Community Outreach/Education
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Eleanor and Charles Garrett Center on Transition and Disability Studies | College of Education | The Eleanor and Charles Garrett Center on Transition and Disability Studies advances opportunities and outcomes for individuals with disabilities through education, training, applied research, and collaboration, strengthening pathways to learning, employment, and community participation across the lifespan. | |
Community Outreach/Education
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Art Research and Education | Department of Art | The Center for Art Research and Education (CARE) strives to enhance the visual culture of SHSU, Huntsville, Walker County and the surrounding communities by promoting awareness and appreciation of art and design by supporting faculty research, art education, visiting artists, design projects, and opportunities for faculty and student engagement with community. | |
| Center for Early Music Research and Performance | School of Music |
|
|
| SHSU Small Business Development Center | College of Business Administration | The SHSU Small Business Development Center empowers entrepreneurs and small businesses to start, grow, and thrive through expert advising, training, and resource access, while strengthening the region’s economic vitality. | |
| Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Center | College of Business Administration | Tonya Blocker | The Bearkat Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Center provides vital hands-on experience for SHSU students while supporting the community through free, high-quality tax preparation services. The program helps students develop practical skills in accounting, communication, and public service while fostering civic responsibility and financial literacy. |
Service
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES) | Academic Affairs | The TRIES Analytical Laboratory provides quality analytical services and method development to Sam Houston State University's academic community, local communities, and industrial, commercial, and municipal clientele. We are guided in operations by safety, data integrity, laboratory ethics, quality, and service, and we continually strive to build and strengthen collaborative relationships | |
Service & Community Outreach/Education
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological Services Center (PSC) | Department of Psychology & Philosophy | The PSC has a dual mission to provide services to the community as well as clinical training for doctoral level students. The PSC is staffed by students in the clinical psychology doctoral training program. All students and clinical activities are closely supervised by licensed psychologists who are faculty or staff at SHSU. | |
Student Support
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Building Business Professionals | College of Business Administration | The Center for Building Business Professionals supports students and alumni in identifying strengths, exploring career paths, and achieving long-term success. Through personalized guidance, experiential learning, and partnerships with employers and community organizations, it connects individuals with the skills, resources, and networks needed to thrive and lead in a changing workforce. | |
| Steele Center for Educator Preparation Services | College of Education |
|
|
| TRIO Student Support Services Center | College of Education | Student Support Services (SSS), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a TRIO program dedicated to increasing the retention and graduation rates for low-income students, first-generation students, students who are or were formerly in the foster care system, and/or students with documented disabilities at SHSU. | |
| SHSU STEM Center | College of Science & Engineering Technology | The SHSU STEM Center is an innovation hub, fostering collaborative learning, research, and service initiatives that drive long-term success for both faculty and students within the College of Science & Engineering Technology. |
Dissemination
| Name | Home Unit | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Review Press (TRP) | College of Humanities & Social Sciences | Founded in 1979, TRP: The University Press of SHSU publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scholarly works, producing 24–30 titles annually. As part of SHSU, it is affiliated with the Texas Book Consortium, the Association of University Presses, and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses. | |