For 35 years, Dave Crouse, Ph.D., has been the Rock of Gibraltar at UNMC.
He’s conducted research in the lab, taught students, developed curriculum, and held a number of key administrative posts. Three times he stepped up to serve as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and interim dean for graduate studies. He once even delayed retirement to do so.
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Dave Crouse, Ph.D. |
A well-earned break
As he prepares to celebrate his 68th birthday on Wednesday, Dr. Crouse also gets ready to embark on his well-deserved retirement. (See sidebar for more about today’s retirement tea, including updated location information.)
It’s a bittersweet time for everyone on campus who looked to Dr. Crouse for answers.
“Dave has always been a font of knowledge,” said Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “There’s nobody like him. Whether it’s rules and regulations or Board of Regents guidelines or talking about stem cell research, Dave is the man. He’s done a phenomenal job.”
Mutual good fortune
An Illinois native, Dr. Crouse earned his doctorate from the University of Iowa.
As he looked for his first job, he interviewed at several universities but none of them felt right. Then, a Christmas card exchange with J. Graham Sharp, Ph.D., a former post doc at Iowa when Dr. Crouse was a pre-doc, led him to UNMC.
Dr. Sharp worked in UNMC’s anatomy department and mentioned to Dr. Crouse that there was an opening in the department.
“I told Graham, ‘I’m a cell biologist, not an anatomist,'” Dr. Crouse said. “I knew nothing about Nebraska. I thought I might be kicking cow poo off my feet. But, I decided to check it out. I wound up getting the job offer and took it; ended up liking it; and next thing you know, it’s been 35 years.”
A ‘behind-the-scenes’ star
Although the limelight often shone on Dr. Crouse, he never sought it. “I liked doing the back room stuff, being behind the scenes,” he said. “I enjoyed greasing the skids.working on people issues or student matters.”
In retirement, Dr. Crouse and wife, Sara, plan to travel and remain active volunteers — Habitat for Humanity and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures are two of his passions.
Enjoy, Dr. Crouse. You will be missed.
Dave: Thanks so much for always being available to provide expertise, advice and assistance. We will greatly miss you in Academic Affairs. Best wishes to you and Sara for many new retirement adventures!
Through 35 years of major changes at UNMC, one constant has been Dr. Crouse's presents. That takes talent, skill and dedication. Congratulations on your retirement, you've earned it.
Working with Dave Crouse has been a wonderful experience. As an academic administrator, he got to the heart of problems with a scientist's precision but always did it with a sense of humor and a gentleman's touch. Not only did he mentor students, but co-workers too. Thanks for everything, Dave. Have a ball as you and Sara embark upon the adventures to come. Nancy Woelfl
Dave is an amazing source of institutional knowledge whose presence will be sorely missed. Regardless of the subject, my many questions to Dave have always been answered promptly and wisely. I want to thank Dave for his great contributions to institution, and for the many times he has helped and mentored me personally. Best wishes to Dave and Sarah on his well-deserved retirement.
Greg Karst
Dr. Crouse:
It’s been a real pleasure working with you and learning from your many years of experience. Thank you for your leadership, guidance, and integrity.
Joan McGovern
Dr. Crouse chaired the committee when I was being recruited to UNMC. It was due to Dave’s support and caring during this recruitment that I realized the spirit of UNMC. Throughout the past three years, I relied on Dave in making the COPH accreditation process run smoothly and efficiently. I call Dave my guardian angel, and I hope he can deliver some of his magical powers even after he retires.
I used to think Dave treated SPA (and by association me) as special…until I learned it isn’t we who are special, it’s Dave Crouse. Dave treated others as colleagues, regardless of rank or role. His willingness to listen, collaborate, withhold judgment and act decisively created an amazing professional relationship built on trust and respect.
Dr. Crouse… I just got here- You CAN'T LEAVE 🙂
David chaired the search committee that brought me to UNMC as dean. During the search process and reinforced since my arrival in Omaha, I found David to be an outstanding ambassador of what makes UNMC an outstanding institution of which to be a part. He is a person of great integrity who cares deeply about the people and the institution to which he has devoted much of his life. The unique blend of academic talent, leadership, caring, institutional knowledge, commitment and vision that he embodies will not be easily replaced.
We are all going to miss Dave. He has been an invaluable source of information about the academic programs at UNMC and a trusted advisor. I hope he keeps coming to the Cattlemen’s Ball.
Dave, It's OK to retire. Just don't quit badminton!
Everybody in the lab wishes Dr Crouse and his wife Sarah a well-earned, long and happy retirement although I am sure they will keep very busy building houses in Ecuador and other stuff. I will miss Dr Crouse a lot, not only as a friend and colleague but also as the “go to guy” with questions of how to do things and how to solve a tricky problem. He did an outstanding job of helping the Chancellor and Mr. Bartee deal with the issues of stem cell research that could have been very disruptive to our programs. He continues to send me the most relevant papers for my research and to make suggestions as to priorities and this is most helpful. I thank him very much for all of his efforts and good luck in the future.
Dave was a leader in science, education and administrative skills. He was a sterling example of what it meant to be a good and responsible citizen at the University of Nebraska. There was never an ‘I’ in Dave.
I have come to appreciate the immense depth of historical knowledge and perspective on academic and graduate related matters that Dave has accumulated over his 35 years of service to UNMC. I also have been impressed with the wide respect Dave has engendered from staff and colleagues across UNMC and the broader UN family. Dave has been absolutely gracious in offering words of wisdom and advice that helped ensure that my transition to UNMC was a smooth one.
I've been with UNMC for over 18 years and have seen many changes but one constant has been Dr. Crouse. Whenever there have been "problems/situations" in my area (or any area) and I heard Dr. Crouse's name mentioned, I knew we were in good hands.
Dr. Crouse embodies the UNMC Brand: Leadership, Team, Resource, Excellence
He will be missed. And, like many on campus, I wish him a wonderful retirement — it is well deserved. Enjoy your Mustang!
Dave Crouse is a rare person–he is universally respected for his knowledge and good judgement, and genuinely liked for his warmth. I was glad to hear him say that he won't totally disappear from UNMC, but certainly wish him lots of fun in his travels!