The Institute for Advanced Systems Studies (IAS) was renamed from the Institute for Multidisciplinary Programs (IMP) beginning in the eighties in order to better reflect its focus on systems theory and systems science as the foundation for true transdisciplinary inquiry. At one point IMP had 35 Faculty Fellows appointed from and representing virtually all major disciplines at the university. Fellows were nominated after a process of interviews of Department Chairs and College Deans. Most were regarded as fulfilling the outstanding criteria describing Fellows (see below).

As diverse as the IMP & IAS Fellowship was,  it represented a remarkable resource of expert opinion across all STEM fields, including the arts in addition.