Poulter Laboratory has a staff of 32 professionals and 13 support personnel. Most of the 32 professionals have advanced degrees in physics, materials science, engineering mechanics, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering.

Poulter Laboratory works in the world of dynamic phenomena where the events of interest occur in thousandths and millionths of seconds. The Laboratory's goal is to gain an understanding of the fundamental physical and mechanical phenomena associated with such events and to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical problems.

Theoretical and experimental work are closely coordinated, theory providing the basis for experiment design and the results of experiments guiding development of theory. High-speed computers are used to facilitate theoretical investigations, and state-of-the-art computer codes are maintained in the areas of structural response, wave propagation, thermodynamic equilibrium, and Lagrangian analyses. Extensive laboratory facilities are available for experimental work, including cameras that photograph at up to two million frames per second, and a well instrumented remote test site where explosive, impact, and fire tests can be performed.