Applied Research Centers
Students interested in research opportunities with one of the ARTP Centers and its affiliated faculty members should contact the Center Directors below for more information.
The Advanced Materials Center provides access to advanced scientific instrumentation for the characterization of materials in support of the educational, research and public service missions of WKU for faculty and students interested in materials science. AMI also actively conducts third party testing of materials for local, regional and national businesses and governmental agencies.
Co-Director: pauline.norris@wku.edu
The Thermal Analysis Lab provides access to advanced scientific instrumentation for the measurement of the thermal properties of materials in support of the educational, research and public service missions of WKU for faculty and students requiring thermal analysis data. AMI also actively conducts third party thermal analysis of samples for local, regional and national businesses and governmental agencies.
TAL Contact: pauline.norris@wku.edu or bangbo.yan@wku.edu
The Applied Physics Institute conducts research in the areas of homeland security,
wireless data communication, nuclear physics and engineering, nanosensors and electronics.
This multidisciplinary Institute is internationally recognized for the development
of nuclear-based active interrogation technologies for non-intrusive, non-destructive
detection and characterization of chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats.
Director: Dr. Vladimir Dobrokhotov
The Biodiversity Center provides expertise in terrestrial and aquatic ecology, taxonomy
and systematics, evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, geographic information
systems, restoration ecology, and database management and eco-informatics. The Center
plays a pivotal role in the protection and management of numerous endangered species
and has a 1,300-acre River Biological Preserve as its natural laboratory.
Director: Dr. Scott Grubbs
ACDS is an interdisciplinary community, with student engagement, that collaboratively
poses and solves problems in bioinformatics and information science. ACDS provides
computing support through our High Performance Computing Center (HPCC).
Director:Dr. Richard Schugart
The Biotechnology Center has molecular biology instrumentation for performing DNA,
RNA and protein analyses such as DNA sequencing, PCR and real-time PCR, electrophoresis,
microscopy, spectroscopy and other common laboratory protocols. The primary goal is
to expand student research and training opportunities and provide support for faculty
research.
Director:Dr. Keith Philips
The Center for Energy Systems (CES) was established in 2013 by Dr. Farhad Ashrafzadeh with a gift by Mr. Donald Greulich as an endowed chair in energy systems. Over the years since its inception, the growth has been tremendous. Starting in the fall of 2012 with only five students, CES now has over 20 student employees, two full-time research engineers, and has been awarded more than $1,500,000 external funding, mainly from world-class companies. Over summer and winter breaks, the students go to full-time to complete projects fully funded by industrial sponsors.
Director: Dr. Farhad Ashrafzadeh
The Center for Human GeoEnvironmental Studies (CHNGES) is an interdisciplinary Center founded in the environmental geosciences with its focus at the nexus of climate, water, sustainability, karst geoscience, and human-environmental interactions. We strive to integrate research, education, outreach, and communication to bridge disciplines and gaps in socio-environmental research, provide student engagement opportunities, and increase public understanding and stakeholder awareness. The Center houses multiple labs, including the HydroAnalytical commercial and research water analysis lab and the EnviroLOS environmental education studio, focused on providing student training and professional services to the community, industry, and its partners. We emphasize applied research and outreach, both nationally and internationally, to produce meaningful outcomes that foster positive changes in behavior and understanding related to socio-environmental challenges. The Center’s mission is to establish itself as a leader in applied research and student engagement at the national and international levels through new and innovative approaches to addressing human-geoenvironmental challenges.
Director: Dr. Jason Polk
Co-Director: Dr. Leslie North
www.wkuchnges.com
www.hydroanalytical.com
The Kentucky Climate Center conducts research and provides a wide range of weather
and climate services. It serves as the State Climate Office for Kentucky and is a
partner with the National Weather Service, the National Centers for Environmental
Information, and the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. The Kentucky Mesonet, Kentucky's
statewide research-grade automated weather and climate monitoring infrastructure,
was developed and is operated as a program of the center. The Kentucky Climate Center
also maintains research and development partnerships and provides customized services
in support of public sector and business and industry.
Director: Dr. Jerald Brotzge
SKYCAM is an acronym for Southern Kentucky Center for Advanced Microscopy, a center proposed to be housed within the ARTP. WKU has acquired a suite of advanced microscopes like the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Large Chamber – Scanning Electron Microscope (LC-SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and a brand new Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (LSCM).
The Disaster Science Operations Center (DSOC) integrates critical decision support and disaster security access and opportunities across public, private, government, and academic sectors through student-centered experiential learning and applied research.
ARTP Logos
To download images, right click on the image format you wish to download and click 'Save Image As'.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.