Gregory P. Crawford, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science and professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed associate provost and vice president of the University, effective July 1, 2015.
Crawford will begin laying the groundwork for his new position but continue as dean this academic year, during which time the University will conduct an international search for a successor.
As associate provost and vice president, Crawford will be charged with developing Notre Dame’s presence in California, initially in the Bay Area. He will begin by expanding career services, internships and employment opportunities for Notre Dame undergraduates; recruiting the best students from leading California high schools to Notre Dame; expanding development efforts in the state; and offering courses and programs through this new presence in California as well as through online learning.
Over time, Crawford will match faculty interests with sabbatical opportunities, connect faculty with companies and funding and assist with finding investors for entrepreneurial companies that begin at Notre Dame and Innovation Park.
“Greg’s passion, creativity, intellect, energy and enthusiasm have taken the College of Science to new heights,” Provost Thomas G. Burish said. “These same attributes will serve the University well as he establishes a physical presence for Notre Dame in the West. We are grateful for his six years of service as dean and look forward to his contributions in his new role.”
Crawford added: “Extending our virtues and values to northern California is only the next step in Notre Dame’s goal of expanding across the state and elevating our impact on the world as a force for good – building on our long tradition of service to humanity and our accelerating achievements in that cause.
“I am profoundly grateful and inspired by the students, faculty and staff of the College of Science, who devote themselves, day in and day out, to fulfilling Notre Dame’s mission.”
Crawford was appointed dean in 2008 and has directed more than 500 faculty, staff and postdoctoral researchers in the College of Science, which has some 1,500 undergraduate students and more than 550 graduate students.
As dean, he has directed numerous new and expanded initiatives, including:
- The founding of the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics.
- The recruiting of more than 60 new faculty.
- The launch of the ESTEEM, patent law, analytics and global health master’s programs.
- Planning and fundraising for significant new initiatives such as the Warren Family Research Center for Drug Discovery and the Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases.
Crawford also has been actively involved in raising money and awareness locally for cancer and rare disease research and has biked more than 11,000 miles across the country in support of research into Niemann-Pick Type C, the disease that has taken the lives of three of legendary Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian’s grandchildren.
Crawford came to Notre Dame from Brown University, where he was the dean of engineering from 2006 to 2008 and professor of physics and engineering from 1996 to 2008. He uses his background in optics, photonics and materials applied to biomedical devices for aging bruise for abuse cases and assessing hemoglobin in developing countries. He has to his credit more than 400 research and education publications, review articles and book chapters, and more than 20 U.S. patents and patent applications.
Crawford attended Kent State University, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Originally published by at news.nd.edu on August 30, 2014.