Centers of Distinction at Hiram College were established as part of our Education that Works strategic plan in 2006. They represent academic structures that transcend individual academic programs and majors, extending the long-term strength of the College to provide engaged, transformative learning environments for our students. Centers offer students distinctive learning opportunities, in and out of the classroom; these experiences are designed to connect knowledge to face the challenges of work and life. Fundamentally, they are a tool for preparing students for the present and the future, for possibilities they can anticipate and for those they cannot. Students participate in Centers in a variety of ways: entering student academic competitions; hosting visiting scholars; organizing panel discussions; engaging in undergraduate research; and attending seminars and national conferences, to name but a few.