The authors research describe the complementary roles of centers as a combination of disruption and stabilization to show how they provide balance to reform efforts. They discovered that STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] Education Centers (SECs) often had a disruptive influence and that Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) had a stabilizing influence. This complementarity allows institutions to "change their course," moving in progressive directions, and "stay the course" in nurturing the desired new norms. The primary areas in which centers have had impact include: the quality of teaching and learning in STEM education, broadening participation and opportunities for all students in STEM, and the expansion of institutional infrastructure to support STEM learning experiences. They found educational innovations gain ground when championed by centers that offer mid-level organizational support to initiate, guide, and nurture innovative processes in undergraduate STEM education. For institutions seeking to transform undergraduate STEM education on their campuses, SECs and CTLs offer a useful mechanism to achieve reform. In this article, they will examine the ways that SECs and CTLs on campuses across the country contribute to the undergraduate STEM success goals of higher education institutions.