Welcome
Dr. Alan Cramb, dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was named the new provost of Illinois Institute of Technology in May 2008. He will join the university in August 2008.
As provost, Cramb will direct all university activities associated with education, research and scholarship, and student experiences. He will also oversee areas that support the academic policies and activities of the university's educational mission. Cramb will collaborate with IIT President John Anderson to develop and implement IIT's strategic plan, to identify academic priorities, and to develop long-term financial plans to achieve a strong resource base for IIT's programs and strategic initiatives.
Provost's Bio
Alan Cramb is the outgoing dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI); he joined RPI in 2005. Prior to RPI, he was the head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he also was a professor and co-director of the Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
During his time as dean at RPI, Cramb oversaw an increase in both undergraduate and graduate enrollments, a significant increase in research expenditures, the initiation of a mandatory international program for undergraduate engineering majors, and the introduction of the Lemelson-RPI prize for student innovation.
Cramb is the author of more than 190 publications and two patents, and was the recipient of the AISI Medal in 1985 and 1986 and the Robert Woolston Hunt Award of the Iron and Steel Society in 1987. He was named an Iron and Steel Society Professor in 1992 and was awarded the Benjamin Richard Teare Award at CMU for excellence in engineering education in 1995. Cramb was the recipient of the Posco Chair for Iron and Steelmaking at CMU in 1997 and was the president of the Iron and Steel Society in 2000. Cramb was made a fellow of the Iron and Steel Society in 2000 and named the John Elliott lecturer of TMS/ISS in 2002. In 2003, he gave the Carnegie lecture for the Pittsburgh branch of ASM and was awarded the Benjamin Fairless Award of AIME. Cramb became president of American Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Society in 2005. He also was chairman of the University Materials Council and a board member of ABET in 2005. In 2007, he gave the Henry Marion Howe lecture of AIME/AIST.
Alan Cramb was selected as provost of IIT following a nationwide search that commenced in December 2007. The search firm Russell Reynolds Associates assisted the IIT Provost Search Committee, led by outgoing College of Science and Letters Dean Buck McMorris. The committee was comprised of constituents from throughout IIT, including faculty from all colleges and institutes, students, and staff.
"The pool of candidates for provost was exceptionally strong. Alan emerged as our choice for several reasons" says McMorris. "One would be his successful leadership experience as a chair and dean of engineering at private research universities. Additionally, his engaging personality will be a plus for the campus community".