Research Centers

Research Centers

Engineering Applications Center. The College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture at the University of Hartford believes that industry is an important partner in the University’s ability to sustain excellence in engineering through education and applied research. The Engineering Applications Center is a vehicle for collaboration between industry and the University. The center provides the opportunity for local business and industry to apply new technologies to their products and processes through application projects, demonstrations, consulting, short courses, symposia, and forums in a wide range of current interest areas. The center not only provides a resource to industry for technology transfers, but it also contributes to the quality of engineering education at the college by involving students in various real-world projects.

The Engineering Applications Center is managed by the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture with support from the Barney School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. It comprises the following: the Manufacturing Engineering Institute, the Energy and Environmental Institute, the Acoustics and Vibrations Institute, the Biomechanics Research Institute, and the Institute of Signal Processing.

For further information about the Engineering Applications Center’s services and the continuing engineering education activities, call 860.768.4846 or e-mail alnajjar@hartford.edu.

Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems. The University is home to the Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems, an international body for the advancement of study, documentation, and education on all aspects of language problems in international relations.

Center for Social Research. The Center for Social Research is a unit within the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences that engages in applied research for state and local organizations. Faculty from the Sociology department and across the University conduct studies and provide internship opportunities for students pursuing the Certificate in Applied Social Research. Internship students work closely with faculty in all phases of the research process, including the design, collection, and analysis of data, as well as the presentation of research results. Recent projects include an evaluation of a statewide child abuse prevention program, an environmental equity study, and a life stories study of vulnerable, first-time parents in Connecticut.

Center for Integrated Design. Architecture, Engineering, Business, and Visual Communication Design Solutions for the Community. The Center for Integrated Design (CID) provides Hartford and the surrounding communities with resources and solutions that address architectural, engineering, business, and visual communication design issues. It is committed to establishing interdisciplinary and educational dialogues between the community, the University’s faculty, and its students. CID works on projects that intersect four disciplines: architecture, engineering, business, and visual communication design. Students and faculty work collaboratively with clients, providing direct interaction and experience for students. A project may include all four disciplines, any combination of disciplines, or only one of them. Governments, public entities, private entities, public K–12 schools, private K–12 schools, nonprofits, and other organizations submit projects for consideration. The projects have clearly defined goals and are typically completed during the academic year, allowing continuity of student involvement and experiential learning.  For further information about the Center for Integrated Design, call 860.768.4560 or email pines@hartford.edu.

Engineers Without Borders
The student chapter of Engineers Without Borders of the University of Hartford is assisting communities in India and Kenya to develop a sustainable supply of clean water to improve their health and living conditions. Operating from a holistic approach, students from throughout the University are working together on these complex social, economic, religious, and political issues. For example, students in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture are implementing sustainable and appropriate technical solutions, such as a solar-powered groundwater pump and rainwater harvesting systems; Hartford Art School students are developing visual campaigns to promote education and wellness; students in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions are performing health assessments; and students in the College of Arts and Sciences are performing community needs assessments and measuring the changes brought about by the student projects. Students travel to India and Kenya to work on the projects during winter, spring, and summer breaks.    For further information about the Engineers Without Borders, call 860.768.4560 or email pines@hartford.edu.

Construction Institute. The University of Hartford Construction Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association of building and construction industry decision makers working to improve the industry by sharing experience and knowledge and developing business leaders. Institute members include all the professions, disciplines, and related industries that serve and supply the entire construction industry.

Through its affiliation with the University of Hartford, the institute provides the construction industry with educational and professional training services to help practitioners improve their management skills, add to their technical knowledge, and improve productivity.

At the core of the institute is its role of serving as a catalyst and neutral forum for bringing together industry professionals to examine current issues and seek solutions to major industry problems.

Further information may be found on the institute’s website at www.construction.org, by e-mail at wcianci@construction.org, or by calling 860.768.4459.