Engineering professors Andrew Houck and Nathalie de Leon worked in different areas but shared a vision of quantum information science. And they pulled together others, creating a website, organizing seminars, recruiting faculty. Along the way, the growing group took on national leadership roles, built a major Princeton initiative, and delivered groundbreaking advances in quantum computing.

Now, as dean of engineering, Houck is applying this approach to drive new waves of unforeseen advances. His initiative, called Clusters of Excellence, focuses the strengths of experts from diverse fields to produce new kinds of research.

“Often the most exciting areas of science and engineering emerge from experts in different fields who realize they are interested in the same questions,” Houck said. “These small clusters can grow to produce previously unimagined benefits for society and new generations of researchers who think creatively and collaboratively.”

Following a call for proposals last fall, funding from the engineering school will allow the clusters to create seminars and build visibility across engineering and other areas of Princeton University. Included in the 11 clusters are groups analyzing the fundamental interactions of microbes, space exploration and development, and the ecological transformation of groundwater.

Houck, appointed dean in August 2025, said the Clusters of Excellence initiative is timely given the substantial growth in the number of Princeton Engineering faculty. The school has added about 40 faculty members since 2020. The clusters offer an opportunity for new and established scholars to build collaborative networks, he said.

“Many of our centers and institutes started with small groups getting together and forging a community,” Houck said. “I’m excited to see what emerges from these
impressive collections.”