The overarching mission and vision of the Center for Complex Systems (CCS) is to understand how complex outcomes, such as natural and artificial behaviors, arise from the interaction of multiple components acting at many scales – an enterprise that transcends and eludes traditional disciplines. Using the concepts of complexity science, the CCS mission is to address problems that confront society at all levels by developing and implementing quantitative methods and tools (e.g. computational modeling, non-linear dynamical systems, AI and machine/ deep learning) to analyze empirical data from many sources across disciplines. Two key synergistic initiatives are central to the CCS vision - one emphasizing the pedagogical value of the complexity science perspective exercised through the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs, and the other in nurturing research collaborations among the CCS faculty members and others including collaborative and interdisciplinary research thus establishing CCS as the interdisciplinary hub for college research programs.
Founded by Dr. J.A. Scott Kelso in 1985, the Center is a multi-disciplinary academic unit that brings together scientists from different backgrounds to tackle the most profound questions of brain and behavior. Center students highly value their research-oriented experience at FAU. They are encouraged and challenged by a rewarding and innovative curriculum that offers a range of studies in complex systems and the brain sciences.
I am very enthusiastic about leading the Center in the coming years with the strong support of our dynamic faculty, hard working staff, and ambitious students. Please feel free to contact me for more information about the Center.
Gary W. Perry, Ph.D.
Director and Professor
