The O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory (WRL) is one of the world's largest and most sophisticated laboratories for education, research and testing in coastal and ocean engineering and related areas. Projects include tsunami simulation, wave energy, wave-structure interaction, near shore hydrodynamics and environmental fluid mechanics.

As part of the Coastal and Ocean Engineering program in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering, the WRL  is a leading center for research and education in coastal engineering and near-shore science. Faculty specialize in physical and numerical modeling of coastal dynamics, with expertise in tsunami and coastal hazard mitigation. The lab also supports an expanding, interdisciplinary graduate program offering M.S., M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees.