CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
The University of Memphis has five Centers of Excellence.
Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) Established 1977 - Dr. Chuck Langston, director This “stand-alone” center facilitates interdisciplinary research and is devoted to understanding causes and consequences of earthquakes through the use of state-of-the-art seismic and GPS networks. The Center also provides necessary technical and practical information to the public. Degrees related to CERI’s mission are awarded in conjunction with the Department of Civil Engineering and the Department of Earth Sciences. Center for Applied Psychological Research (CAPR) Established 1984 - Dr. Guy Mittleman, director CAPR applies scientific methods and the knowledge of psychology to solve problems of individuals, communities and society. Programs offered by the Center include the Psychological Services Center, which serves the Memphis area. Its initiatives address a number of societal issues, such as smoking cessation (including those funded by the National Institute of Health), adolescent obesity, gambling addiction, reducing health risks in minority populations, job-related stress reduction and the causes/effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain. It is also involved in the creation of intelligent tutoring systems, issues of grief/loss and assisting with workforce training to meet the changing needs of Tennessee business and industry. The Center staff has worked with state and local agencies to address autism, teen pregnancy prevention, highway safety and sexual misconduct among mental health professionals. For every $1 invested by Tennessee in CAPR, its faculty members bring in $5.50 in external grants. It is housed within the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Center for Research Initiatives and Strategies for the Communicatively Impaired (CRISCI) Established 1984 - Dr. Maurice Mendel, director Research areas of CRISCI include remediation of communication difficulties experienced by persons with hearing impairment, the development and improvement of devices and methods concerning issues associated with hearing aids, cochlear physiology in typical and impaired human listeners, assessment of speech perception by hearing and hearing-impaired persons, stuttering, infant vocal development, communication disorders resulting from acquired neural disorders, and communication in children with autism spectrum disorder. Housed within the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, its faculty members are recognized nationally and internationally for their contributions to their respective fields. Institute for Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) Established 1984 - Dr. Lorelei Corcoran, director The Institute houses the Mid-South’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, 1,100 items. The collection is used by scholars from around the world, and is often the subject of field trips by students from local and regional school systems. The Institute has also initiated and sponsored several significant archaeological endeavors in Egypt. These include the Great Hypostyle Hall project at Karnak, Egypt, in 1993; the sponsorship of the Amenmesse Project in the Valley of the Kings in 1995; and a cooperative project with Italian Archaeological Mission to Luxor, Tomb of Harwa at Thebes in 2003. In 2006, a U of M team discovered a new tomb, #63, in the Valley of the Kings. That discovery received worldwide attention in the mass media as well as in scholarly circles. It is housed in the Department of Art within the College of Communication and Fine Arts. Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) Established 1989 - Dr. Martha Alberg, director CREP is dedicated to improving Pre/K-through-12 education. It is nationally recognized in the areas of school reform and choice, teacher education, educational technology, intervention for at-risk students, literacy, after-school programs, and evaluation methods for school improvement decision-making. CREP customizes its research for each “customer’s” needs, with its results being used locally, regionally and nationally. Among the services CREP provides are program evaluation
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