Alvin Crumbliss, PhD -- Dean of Natural Sciences Photo credit: Jon Gardiner, Duke Photography

Durham, NC - Alvin L. Crumbliss, a professor of chemistry at Duke since 1970, has been named the new Dean of Natural Sciences by Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences George McLendon.

Crumbliss, who has previously served as Director of Undergraduate Studies and chairman of Chemistry, said he's stepping into the new role out of a "sense of responsibility to the university. I built my career here and it's been good to me."

In 1987, he won Duke's Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award and earlier this year he was recognized with the Dean's Distinguished Service Award.

"Al's a great choice for this for several reasons," McLendon said. "He has been a leader in just about every aspect of campus life; he's an unparalleled citizen of the Duke Community. His work is a natural bridge between the physical sciences and the life sciences. He will help the natural sciences advance at Duke."

"Dean McLendon discussed this appointment with me and I wholeheartedly agreed," Provost Peter Lange said. "Al is a first rate teacher and accomplished researcher, and he has extensive administrative experience," Lange said. "He's tailor-made for this important role."

Crumbliss, whose research has focused on the roles of metals in living cells and the environment, said he would like to see Duke's natural sciences units retain their standing as the core of the university's excellence in the sciences. Part of that effort will be continuing to build new connections between the departments and disciplines.

"The beauty of Duke University is the ease with which there are cross-departmental and cross-school collaborations," Crumbliss said. He said his job will be to ensure that the deans in natural sciences are talking to one another and collaborating on such things as shared faculty hires and the cross-listing of courses.

"The critical thing is not to get larger, it's to get better," Crumbliss said. Duke's natural science departments have a key role in the liberal arts education, he added. "It's important that every citizen understand what science and scientists are trying to do and what they can and cannot do."

As dean, Crumbliss replaces biologist Stephen Nowicki, who was recently named Duke's first Dean of Undergraduate Education.

Crumbliss is married and has two grown sons.