Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced the appointment of Alan Cramb, Ph.D., as dean of the School of Engineering, and the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering. Cramb, whose career spans both industry and academia, is professor and head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

“Dr. Cramb is an outstanding leader with an expansive vision for engineering and its role in creating the future,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson.  “He brings his considerable skills and experience to Rensselaer at a time when many new faculty have joined the Institute, research awards are growing, student quality is improving, and we are moving boldly into new fields that will be critically important in the 21st century. This growth trajectory provides many opportunities for continued leadership and excellence in engineering, and Dr. Cramb is well prepared to lead the charge.”

A distinguished researcher in the area of steel processing, Cramb’s work is problem-focused in areas such as casting machine design and operation, process improvement, and product quality development. His current research includes the solidification behavior of steel, wetting behavior at high temperatures, and eco-processing. He has published more than 160 papers, including 10 in 2004, and has made presentations throughout the world.

Following seven years as a research engineer with steadily increasing responsibilities at Bethlehem Steel, Cramb moved to Carnegie Mellon in 1986, as an assistant professor in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science. He was promoted to associate professor in 1989, and appointed co-director of the Center for Iron and Steel Research in 1992. Cramb was promoted to professor in 1994, and appointed head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2000.

Cramb has been active in professional societies, including the Iron and Steel Society (president, 2000), the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Engineers (president-elect), and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Carnegie Lecturer, American Society for Materials, and the Benjamin F. Fairless Award, a major award of AIME, earning both honors in 2003.

Born in Kilwinning, Scotland, he attended the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, receiving a Bachelor of Science with high honors in Metallurgy in 1975. He completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science at the University of Pennsylvania in 1979. 

Cramb will join Rensselaer as dean of the School of Engineering on July 1, 2005.

Contact: Theresa Bourgeois
Phone: (518) 276-2840
E-mail: bourgt@rpi.edu