Research Institutes

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. Institutes of particular relevance to the Robert Day School include:

The Financial Economics Institute
Eric Hughson, Director
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. Each year, the FEI sponsors a trip that allows CMC students to visit some of the leading financial institutions in New York City. Professor Eric Hughson, the Don and Lorraine Freeburg Professor of Economics and Finance, is the director of the Institute; Professor Lisa Meulbroek, Fritz B. Burns Professor of Financial Economics, is the associate director.

The Kravis Leadership Institute
Ron Riggio, Director
The Kravis Leadership Institute (KLI) administers the Leadership Studies Sequence, including psychology, government, history, literature, philosophy, economics, and military science and leadership courses. Students work with KLI faculty on research projects studying leadership dynamics. The Institute also pursues a broad range of interdisciplinary research projects on leadership performance, entrepreneurship, and organizational effectiveness. Professor Ronald Riggio, the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology, serves as the director. Professor Susan Murphy, Associate Professor of Psychology, serves as the associate director.

The Lowe Institute of Political Economy
Marc D. Weidenmier, Director
The Lowe Institute supports individual faculty research covering a broad range of topics in political economy. The Institute sponsors a scholars program for independent student research, brings speakers to campus, and sponsors workshops and conferences. Research results are published in professional journals. Professor Marc Weidenmier, William F. Podlich Associate Professor of Economics and George R. Roberts Fellow, is the director.

The Berger Institute for Work, Family and Children
Heather Antecol, Acting Director
The Berger Institute for Work, Family and Children was established in 2000 to be a leading source of research on significant issues impacting the intersection between work and family. The Berger Institute focuses on quantitative research impacting business practices and families; supports high-quality interdisciplinary research by talented CMC professors, which will lead to publishing opportunities; provides challenging and stimulating educational experiences for CMC students from freshman year through graduation, resulting in high-quality student work and publishing opportunities; and connects the wider CMC community, including alumni and parents of students to provide practical information about significant work/family issues.

Additional CMC Research Institutes