One of the most prominent examples of the link between the Indiana and South Carolina universities involves research of how planets form. Sean Brittain, the chair of the physics and astronomy department at Clemson, earned his doctorate at Notre Dame, where he worked closely with professor Terrence Rettig using high resolution infrared spectroscopy to study the gas in planet-forming disks around young stars. The goal is to examine how the gas evolves in order to gain a better understanding of how planets form. The pair has co-authored dozens of academic papers and studies together. In another example of unity, sociologists Miao Li (Clemson) and Sarah Mustillo (Notre Dame) work together on research that looks at the generational effects of mental health and parenting behaviors.