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Claremont McKenna College plays a significant role in addressing public policy questions of importance to society through ten nationally recognized research institutes. The institutes serve to enrich the curriculum and provide timely research opportunities for students working closely with faculty scholars. They also attract distinguished scholars and lecturers to the College, provide students with a variety of internship experiences, and produce scholarly research valuable to the community, the state, and the nation. The institutes in the order of their founding are:
The Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World
The Salvatori Center was founded in 1967. Through the conferences it holds and the research it conducts and sponsors, the Salvatori Center seeks to understand the relationship between individual freedom and the economic, social, moral, political, and legal conditions essential for its preservation. Within the general study of individual freedom, the Center’s work focuses particularly on the American Constitution - its founding principles and consequent judicial construction - and on questions of applied ethics. Professor George Thomas, Wohlford Professor of American Political Institutions, serves as the director of the Center.
The Rose Institute of State and Local Government
The Rose Institute is a public policy institute that focuses on state and local government issues, especially in Southern California. In addition to conducting the annual Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey, the Institute’s professional staff and student teams conduct research in four major areas: survey research, fiscal and economic analysis, geographic information systems (GIS) and demographics, and legal and regulatory analysis. The Institute educates students by involving them in policy-oriented projects that result in scholarly research of value to the community, the state, and the nation. Professor Kenneth Miller, Rose Professor of State and Local Government, is the director.
The Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies
The Keck Center’s main goals are to engage students in the sophisticated analysis of contemporary international and strategic issues and to encourage and support students and faculty to conduct research on critical issues in world affairs. The Center’s activities include support for students’ research, extracurricular activities and practical experiences, student fellowships and awards, funding of summer internships, curriculum development, public lectures, visiting professors, scholarly conferences and workshops, and faculty research. The Center offers extensive experiential learning opportunities that involve podcasting, international journalism, passion projects, research and careers in gender and security, and international travel. Professor Hilary Appel, the Podlich Family Professor of Government and George R. Roberts Fellow, is the director of the Center.
The Lowe Institute of Political Economy
The primary mission of the Lowe Institute of Political Economy is to provide students with opportunities to apply their textbook knowledge of economics, politics, and statistics to address open-ended questions under the supervision of faculty experts. We pursue this by designing and funding a variety of faculty-student research projects where students contribute by providing quantitative analysis on a variety of questions from academia and public policy. This fits neatly with the founding vision that Claremont Mckenna College would prepare students to engage with the economic and political problems of the day. Cameron Shelton, McMahon Family Associate Professor of Political Economy and George R. Roberts Fellow, is the director of the Institute.
The Roberts Environmental Center
The Roberts Environmental Center (REC) pursues an interdisciplinary approach equipping students with the skills to manage environmental issues and opportunities for the real world. Recent REC projects include an analysis of U.S. forest carbon offset projects for Xyla Land and Resource Advisors, an assessment for Silverstrand Capital of the sustainability of the coffee supply chain from farming to distribution, an initiative to counter the heat-island effect by placing heat-reflective coatings on playgrounds at the Fremont Academy in the City of Pomona, environmental education in Claremont public schools, a market analysis for Symbrosia’s cattle feed product that can reduce the generation of methane, and an inventory for Southern California Edison of green alternative strategies to protect the electricity infrastructure against climate change. Professor Branwen Williams is the Director of the Center.
The Family of Benjamin Z. Gould Center for Humanistic Studies
Established in 1985, the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies examines the major forces that have gone into, and are still at work in, the formation of the modern world: science, capitalism, and industrialization. Its researchers are also concerned with the great changes in attitudes that accompanied the growth of the world. Distinguished visiting fellows are brought to the Center, summer research fellowships are awarded to faculty, and six Dunbar Fellowships actively involve students in faculty research and course design. Additionally, the Center promotes the arts and humanities on campus by organizing concerts and exhibitions and arranging excursions to local cultural venues. Professor Amy Kind, Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy, is the director of the Center.
The Kravis Leadership Institute
The Kravis Leadership Institute (KLI) administers the Leadership Studies Sequence , including psychology, government, history, literature, philosophy, economics, and military science and leadership courses, including entrepreneurship courses focused on both business and social venture models. The Institute also administers a wide range of co-curricular student leadership development programs in addition to the oversight of the student-led nonprofit consulting program, SOURCE. Students work with KLI faculty on research projects studying leadership dynamics. The Institute also pursues numerous interdisciplinary research projects on leadership performance, entrepreneurship, and organizational effectiveness. The Institute presents the annual Kravis-deRoulet Leadership Conference and publishes a newsletter, Illumine, as well as sponsors an annual speakers series. Professor David Day, the Steven L. Eggert ‘82 Professor of Leadership and George R. Roberts Fellow, is the director of the Institute.
The Berger Institute for Individual and Social Development
The Berger Institute for Individual and Social Development was established in 2001 as an intellectual and experiential home for research and programming focused on contemporary social issues. The focus varies as a function of the institute director. Professor Stacey Doan, Professor of Psychology, is the current director, and the theme is how we thrive. Our research focuses on three main goals: (a) advancing understanding of how well-being, health, and disease are affected by psychological states and social environments; (b) educating students, parents, educators, and public policy leaders on the interactions between individuals, their communities, and well-being; and (c) translating basic research to use in real-world settings. We train students to produce and disseminate high-quality research with implications for policy, practical applications, and theory.
The Mgrublian Center for Human Rights Leadership
With study of the Holocaust as its foundation, the Center promotes research, publication, teaching, internships, and academic travel programs that explore not only the causes of genocide and human rights abuses but also the ethical commitments, economic policies, political processes, and leadership qualities that are necessary to oppose those destructive conditions. Through its program of visiting scholars, conferences, academic travel opportunities, and student grants, the Center particularly encourages interaction among undergraduates and leading scholars in the field. Professor Wendy Lower, John K. Roth Professor of History and George R. Roberts Fellow, serves as the director of the Center.
The Financial Economics Institute
The Financial Economics Institute (FEI) administers a unique curricular program, the Financial Economics sequence, which affords a rigorous educational opportunity for CMC students that is distinguished both by its liberal arts emphasis and quantitative orientation. The Institute provides databases and other resources to support faculty and student research, and sponsors conferences, workshops, and other events intended to bridge theory and practice, such as the Private Equity Case Competition or the Fintech Practicum, where students work in teams on consulting projects sponsored by financial institutions and fintech startups. Each year, the FEI sponsors a trip that allows CMC students to visit some of the leading financial institutions in New York City. Nishant Dass, Charles M. Stone Professor of Finance, is the director of the Institute.
The Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The mission of the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RLCIE) is to help prepare students to be thoughtful, productive, and responsible business leaders and innovators. The RLCIE advances its mission by identifying gaps in the coursework, career preparation, and other activities students participate in and then guiding and supporting the development of experiential education to fill the gaps. Key initiatives include the RLCIE Fellows Program, the Graphite Group, the March Capital Venture Program, and Product Space. The RLCIE supports a variety of curricular and co-curricular programming, including courses, workshops, networking events, speakers, mentoring, internships, and guidance for prospective entrepreneurs. The leadership team includes students, faculty, staff, and an Advisory Board. Professor Darren Filson, James G. Boswell Professor of Economics, is the Director and Ron LaPierre is the Executive Director and Entrepreneur in Residence.
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