MACON, Ga. — Dr. Penny L. Elkins, executive vice president and interim provost, has appointed Dr. Garland Crawford, professor of chemistry and director of undergraduate research, to assistant vice provost for research.
Crawford will serve in this new position to provide additional support to the expanded role of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, which recently assumed responsibility for pre- and post-award research grant submissions and management processes in academic units. He will work under Dr. Wayne Glasgow, senior vice provost for research, to develop resources and processes to support sponsored programs across the University.
“As an active researcher and effective mentor to students in our nationally recognized undergraduate research program, Dr. Crawford is well suited for this new leadership position,” said Dr. Elkins. “He will expand the research administration capacity of the University that will benefit the entire Mercer community.”
“I believe that Dr. Crawford will be an enthusiastic and effective addition to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs,” said Dr. Glasgow. “We have several initiatives to build out and ideas to explore over the coming year as we work to expand the capability of our office.”
He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Mercer in 1997 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army as an ordnance officer before earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Kentucky. After a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, he joined Mercer in August 2011 as an assistant professor of chemistry. Along with other duties, he has served as chair of chemistry, director of the University Honors Program and secretary for the House of Delegates.
“I am excited about this new opportunity to serve Mercer. I look forward to working with Dr. Glasgow and the Provost’s Office to build on our successes in sponsored programs,” Dr. Crawford said.
