YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Youngstown State University is providing $328,500 in funding for four new centers of excellence that cover disciplines ranging from hydraulics and the environment to advanced numerics and electromagnetics, officials reported today. The four new Presidential Academic Centers for Excellence in Research were announced recently by Peter J. Kasvinsky, dean of graduate studies and research at YSU, after a panel of graduate deans and research officers from across the state made the selections.The PACER program at YSU, started in the 1997-98 academic year, allows faculty to propose research projects and receive three years of funding as an incentive to find outside funding support over that time period. Eventually, the centers are expected to become completely financially independent from the university.The four new centers are:Center for Hydraulics Research and Education ($79,000). Led by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and under the direction of H.W. Shawn Kim, the center is divided into four components: a hydraulics laboratory, a computational lab, a technical assistance program and an educational assistance program.Center for Environmental Monitoring and Restoration ($80,000). Led by the Department of Biological Sciences and under the direction of Carl Johnston, the center's main goal is to assist in the restoration of the Mahoning River and to support environmental protection and restoration projects. Team members have expertise in ecology, microbiology, botany, chemistry, geology, as well as environmental engineering and community planning.Electromagnetic Field Research and Instrumentation Center ($120,000). Led by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and under the direction of Jalal Jalali, the center's main focus is on MRI optimization, optical and radio frequency communications, the development and characterization of novel non-linear materials, and electromagnetic compatibility. These research efforts apply to the medical field, as well as communications and automotive industries.Center for Advanced Numerics, Complexity, and Networking ($49,500). Led by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics and under the direction of Angela Spalsbury, the center focuses on the advancement of parallel computing, which offers the promise of a quantum leap in the computing power that can be brought to bear on many important problems.Visit Youngstown State University: www.ysu.edu"