Greg Dye Reappointed to Second Term as Executive Director of the Duke Lemur Center

Greg Dye will take over as director of the Duke Lemur Center, the world’s largest and most diverse collection of lemurs outside their native Madagascar. He will succeed biology professor Anne Yoder, who led the center for 12 years.
Under Greg Dye's leadership, the Duke Lemur Center has advanced its mission of education, non-invasive research and conservation of lemurs.

Greg Dye has been reappointed to a second five-year term as executive director of the Duke Lemur Center (DLC), Provost Alec Gallimore announced this week.

The reappointment followed an administrative review that was conducted by a committee chaired by Susan Alberts, dean of natural sciences for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and Robert F. Durden Professor of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology. Dye’s new term was effective July 1.

“Greg is a passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated leader with a deep commitment to the Duke Lemur Center,” Gallimore said. “I look forward to his continued direction of the center and its mission of research, education and conservation.”

“The review committee found that Greg has extraordinarily deep knowledge about the operations of the DLC,” said Alberts. “He is an extremely capable manager of resources, infrastructure and staff.”

Duke’s provost conducts regular reviews of all deans, vice provosts, senior staff and faculty who have major administrative positions reporting to the provost. The review committee was announced on Duke Today on April 4 and invited comments from the Duke community.

Dye joined the Duke Lemur Center in 2008 and has served as executive director since July 2019. He received the Duke University Presidential Award in 2017. As executive director, Dye oversees the DLC and leads its tripartite mission of noninvasive research, education and conservation of lemur habitats in Madagascar.

Established in 1966, the Duke Lemur Center now houses more than 200 lemurs and bush babies across 13 species -- the most diverse population of lemurs on Earth, outside their native Madagascar.

Over Dye’s tenure, published scientific papers related to the Lemur Center have represented a broad range of disciplines including evolutionary biology, evolutionary anthropology, ecology, biodiversity conservation, genetics, animal behavior, and microbiology. In addition, the DLC Museum of Natural History has become an important fossil repository, with more than 35,000 fossils.

The DLC is open to the public and welcomes more than 35,000 visitors annually for tours and educational programs. Its highly successful conservation breeding program seeks to preserve endangered species.

Under Dye’s leadership, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, the major accrediting body for laboratory animal care, has recognized the DLC for innovation and excellence.