The Transportation Research Building is home to the
Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Penn State’s transportation research center, a major, multidisciplinary unit within the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Since its inception in 1968, the Larson Institute has maintained a threefold mission of research, education, and service.
The Larson Institute is the locus for transportation-related research conducted by Penn State faculty from more than 14 colleges and research centers, with areas of specialization ranging from civil, computer, electrical, architectural, industrial, and mechanical engineering to agriculture, information sciences and technology, supply chain management, economics, geography, psychology, and statistics.
The Institute provides a unique focal point of collaboration for expert faculty and enterprising students from across the University together with public and private stakeholders to address critical transportation-related needs of the individual user and the world at large.