SHSU Centers & Institutes

The Center for Art Research and Education (CARE) strives to enhance the visual culture of SHSU, Huntsville, Walker County and the surrounding communities. CARE promotes 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.

Home Unit: Department of Art, College of Arts & Media

Director: Michael Henderson

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The Center for Early Music Research and Performance explores how historical performance practices—such as ornamentation, style, and improvisation—inform today’s music. Students and faculty engage in research, teaching, and performance using the Center’s collection of early keyboard instruments, including harpsichords, a Viennese fortepiano, and a 17th-century style organo di legno. Undergraduate and graduate students also have opportunities to apply early music practices in ensemble and solo settings.

Home Unit: SCHOOL OF MUSIC, College of Arts & Media

Director: MARIO ASCHAUER

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The Center of Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship (CITE) at Sam Houston State University 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.

Home Unit: College of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Director: PAMELA ZELBST

CHARLES MIZE - assistant director

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The Center for Assessment, Research, and Educational Safety (C.A.R.E.S.) is committed to enhancing the safety and well-being of educational communities, from primary schools to higher education, through innovative research in threat assessment, behavioral health, and safety practices. By combining research with proactive training, we empower educators and stakeholders to foster supportive environments where every individual can thrive. Our holistic approach emphasizes both physical security and mental well-being, focusing on prevention and response to all types of crisis events that threaten educational experiences, outcomes, and environments.

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: MATTHEW FULLER

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The Center for Research Excellence and Innovation started in the College of Education (COE) in 2022. The Center has since expanded to include a formal partnership with the College of Health Sciences (COHS). The mission of the Research Center aligns with Sam Houston State University’s call for academic excellence and enhanced reputation and visibility. Specifically, the Center aims to better equip faculty, staff, and students with the skills and knowledge to engage with research, collect and make meaning of data, conduct and disseminate quality and ethical research, and to develop competitive grant proposals for both internal and external research support

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: MARIBETH JORGENSEN

TRACEY HODGES - ASSISTANT DIRector

PRAPHUL JOSHI - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

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The Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (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. 

Home Unit: College of OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Director: VINOTH SITTARAMANE

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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.

Home Unit: College of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Director: CHRISTIAN RASCHKE

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The mission of the Crime Victims' Institute is to:

• Conduct research to examine the impact of crime on victims of all ages in order to promote a better understanding of victimization
• Improve services to victims
• Assist victims of crime by giving them a voice
• Inform victim-related policy-making at the state and local levels.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: MARY BREAUX

RANDY GARNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRector

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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.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: SARAH KERRIGAN

BRITNI SKILLMAN - CO-DIRECTOR

RANDY GARNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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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.

Home Unit: College of SCIENCE & ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Director: DAVID THOMPSON

ROSS GUIDA - CO-DIRECTOR

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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.

Home Unit: DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, College of SCIENCE & ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Director: ROB GREENBERG

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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.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: SHEREE HUGHES

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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

Home Unit: ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Director: AUTUMN SMITH-HERRON

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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.

Home Unit: School of Music, College of Arts & Media

Director: BRIAN GIBBS

Darla McBryde - associate director

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The Center for the Study of Disasters & Emergency Management (CDEM) serves as an interdisciplinary anchor for scholars at Sam Houston State University 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.

Home Unit: DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, College of HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

Director: JASON ENIA

The Center for Multi-Cultural Rural Development (CMRD) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), housed in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), focuses on advancing knowledge regarding the social, demographic, economic, political, and cultural aspects of rural life in Texas and beyond, offering internships for students. 

Home Unit: College of HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

Director: LEIF FRENCH

MARIA BARKER - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

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 housed within the Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). All students and clinical activities are closely supervised by licensed psychologists who are faculty or staff at SHSU.

Home Unit: Department of Psychology & Philosophy, College of HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

Director: MARY ALICE CONROY

The Steele Center for Educator Preparation Services provides support services for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the SHSU Educator Preparation Program. This includes students seeking degrees that prepare them for Texas certification as classroom teachers, principals, superintendents, educational diagnosticians, reading specialists, school librarians, and school counselors. These services include coordination of field experiences and clinical teaching, authorization and support for TExES certification exams, guidance in meeting the requirements for and recommendations for state certification.

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: HELEN BERG

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To prepare professionals who individually and collectively provide leadership and exemplary education and related services for the betterment of a changing and complex global society.
The doctoral programs specifically aim to develop leaders who drive innovation, research, and excellence in education, including fields like instructional technology, developmental education, and educational leadership.

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: ABBIE STRUNC

In 1994, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) was created and became responsible for all professional development programs unrelated to law enforcement, and Dan Richard Beto was named the Institute’s founding Director. The Correctional Management Institute of Texas is charged with developing and delivering professional education, management development, and issue-specific training programs for personnel in juvenile and adult community and institutional corrections agencies.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: CHRISTIE HANEY

RANDY GARNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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The Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University 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.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: MICHAEL ASPLAND

RANDY GARNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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For three decades, the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) has been a cornerstone of advanced education, professional development, research, and services for the law enforcement community. Established by the Texas Legislature in 1989, LEMIT has grown into one of the largest and most sophisticated statewide training programs for law enforcement leadership in the nation. Its initiatives are nationally recognized for equipping current and future leaders with the skills necessary to meet the complex demands of 21st-century policing.

Home Unit: College of CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director: JOHN RAY

RANDY GARNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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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.

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: CHRISTINA GUSHANAS

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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.

Home Unit: College of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Director: RHONDA ELLISOR

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The Center for Building Business Professionals empowers all students and alumni to discover their strengths, explore career pathways, and achieve meaningful, lifelong professional success. We provide career education through personalized guidance, innovative programs, and experiential learning opportunities such as internships and mentorships. By cultivating strong partnerships with employers and community organizations, we connect individuals with the skills, resources, and networks needed to thrive, lead, and create impact in a rapidly changing world.

Home Unit: College of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Director: JULIE CAMPBELL

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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.

Home Unit: College of EDUCATION

Director: KELLY STUCKEY

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