Dan Crane

Dan Crane is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Northwestern – Saint Paul, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. His current administrative roles include serving as Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and Special Assistant to the Provost. Previously, he held the position of Dean of the College of Behavioral and Natural Sciences from 2014 to 2022 and served as Chair of the Science & Mathematics Department (2002-2011) and the Mathematics & Engineering Department (2011-2014). He has also held visiting professorships at the University of Minnesota during multiple summers.

Dr. Crane earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his B.S. in Chemistry from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, where he also obtained a Technical Translator’s Certificate in German. His academic journey includes research assistantships at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry in Germany, as well as teaching positions at The Pennsylvania State University, Erie.

His research interests are centered in Chemistry Education, where he investigates poorly explained concepts in introductory chemistry, such as the behavior of buffer solutions and the rules governing allowed molecular orbitals. Additionally, he conducts applied research in Mechanical Engineering focused on bicycle dynamics, specifically on minimizing rolling resistance to enhance rider efficiency. These interdisciplinary pursuits reflect his commitment to both theoretical clarity and practical application.

Throughout his career, Dr. Crane has taught a wide range of chemistry courses including General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry. The source material does not provide details on his graduate students, research grants, or laboratory facilities.