From the group: "Immigrants and refugees have profoundly shaped Northeast Ohio. In manufacturing, health care and the creation of small and large business ventures, they are helping the region recover from the loss of core industries between the 1980s and the 1990s.

In the Spring of 2019, the Center for Refugee and Immigrant Success (CRIS) was created when faculty from across the university identified the need for a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary research center, combining interdisciplinary skills and methodologies to address research questions through partnerships with community organizations. "