Dean of Engineering Gregory Crawford will leave Brown in July for the University of Notre Dame. Crawford, who has been at the University for 12 years, will take over as dean of the College of Science at the South Bend, Ind., university.
Crawford said Notre Dame's major selling point was its "unique character and mission," adding that the school does "a lot for science and humanity" - a pairing, he went on to explain, that was central to his time at Brown.
As dean of the College of Science, Crawford will oversee more than1,000 students studying biology, chemistry, math and physics, according to the school's Web site. At Notre Dame, these fields are taught in a school separate from engineering, which has its own college, the Web site said.
"Greg Crawford brings unbounded energy, fresh ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit to the College of Science," the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, said in a statement. "He is drawn to the distinctive mission of Notre Dame - the pursuit of truth in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the promotion of science in the service of humanity. I am delighted to welcome him."
Crawford, who first came to the University as an assistant professor in 1996, has spent the last decade exploring everything from the pedagogy of entrepreneurship to liquid crystal and polymer materials.
In 2006, he helped start the Program in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship, a project that aims to bridge the gap between business and science, he said.
Crawford said the program allowed him to collaborate with doctors at Alpert Medical School, showing him the possibilities for interdisciplinary science studies.
Students and colleagues characterized Crawford as driven, outgoing and, though at times unbelievably busy, also attentive to students' needs.
"As a bold leader, he ignores the improbable and focuses on the possible," David Targan, associate dean of the College for science education, wrote in an e-mail. Targan added that the Division of Engineering would "miss his infectious smile, indefatigable drive and compassion."
"He's a fun guy to hang out with even if you're a 25-year-old grad student," said John McMurdy GS, a fourth-year grad student who has Crawford as his thesis adviser.
McMurdy said that, though Crawford's graduate advisees were generally happy for their mentor, some expressed concerns about the difficulty of switching advisers mid-way through their research.
"The greatest thing about (Crawford) is his ability to be flexible toward the needs of students and to encourage them in what they want to do," said Robert Neville '08, who has Crawford as an independent study adviser.
Crawford said the University is still searching for his replacement.
