The program has three elements, research, teaching, and the Ohio State University Acarology Collection (OSAL).  Research involves collection based projects on mite systematics, with basal Parasitiformes as the main focus.  The Acarology Summer Program is currently the longest running program for training in identification of mites and ticks in the world.  Finally, the OSAL collection is the most diverse (taxonomically) mite collection at any North American university.  Although focused on Acari, it includes secondary collections of spiders and other arachnids.