Our History
The Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies has its roots in the Boys Town Center for the Study of Youth Development.
From 1974 to 1982, Boys Town funding supported graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research stipends, support staff, a new building (now Aquinas Hall) and tremendous growth in the National Catholic School of Social Service, the School of Theology and Religious Studies, and the departments of Anthropology, Human Development, and Sociology in the School of Arts and Sciences.
In 1982, the Boys Town board ended its contract with the University, leaving the Center in need of funding and a new vision. It expanded its focus to include human development across the entire life span, as well as research on social movements, and changed its name to The Life Cycle Institute.
A number of tough years followed which saw researchers and professors forced to leave for better opportunities, although directors Che Fu Lee, Hans Furth, and James Youniss worked to develop LCI into a center known for its empirical research on community, youth, and political demographics. Eventually, LCI emerged as The Catholic University of America's original internal think tank.
Renamed the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies in 2009, the think tank continues to bring rigorous academic research to bear on contemporary questions of interest to policy experts and faith communities.
Our Mission
The Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies now serves as an interdisciplinary policy research center that provides timely analysis of policy issues relevant to the life of the Church, the Catholic University of America, legislators, scholars, professionals, and concerned citizens, including the media. IPR also provides an interdisciplinary forum that welcomes and encourages participation and active collaboration among scholars, professionals, and experts from a variety of disciplines, institutions, and faith traditions.
The Institute's lectures, conferences, symposia, round-tables, and working groups provide research that supports print and electronic publications, multimedia, and other means to share research with the public, the Church, policymakers, media, and interested scholars.
Our Leadership
David P. Long, S.T.L., M.Phil., J.C.D.,
Director
E-mail: longdp@cua.edu
Phone: (202) 319-6260
Past Directors of the Institute
James O'Connor, Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences (1974–1982)
Che Fu Lee, Department of Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences (1982–1988)
Hans Furth, Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences (1988)
James Youniss, Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences (1988–2000)
Dean Hoge, Department of Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences (2000–2004)
John K. White, Department of Politics, School of Arts and Sciences (2004–2005)
Stephen F. Schneck, Department of Politics, School of Arts and Sciences (2005–2015)
Maria Mazzenga, Education Archivist, American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives (2015–2017)
Robert Destro, The Columbus School of Law (2017–2019)