Computational science, interdisciplinary research and the use of information technology are transforming education, research, and institutional culture in academic institutions. In the last decade, Louisiana has targeted significant resources to these areas, one outcome of which has been the establishment of the Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) at Louisiana State University (LSU). This white paper, a contribution to the NSF Workshop on HPC Center Sustainability, aims to catalyze a broader investigation into the motivation for interdisciplinary, computational science research centers, and best practices for establishing, running, and evaluating such centers in academic environments. This paper is the work of Gabrielle Allen (CCT Assistant Director, 2003 to 2008) and Daniel S. Katz (CCT Director of Cyberinfrastructure Development, 2006 to 2009), and does not reflect the views or opinions of the CCT or LSU.