Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Thomas Crute

At the young age of six, Thomas Crute already knew he wanted to study pre-med in college. But when he actually began visiting university campuses, he changed his mind.

“I was not good at chemistry at all,” the ASU associate professor of chemistry says. “In fact, when I was visiting a college, I went to my pre-med advisor, whose office was located in the chemistry department. When he asked what I was intending on majoring in, I looked around, saw that I was standing in the chemistry department, and said ‘chemistry.’”

A native of Richmond, Va., Dr. Crute realized that while he was not good at chemistry, it was fun. He says that as a professor, he wants to show his students not just what chemistry is in the textbook, but how it applies to everything in general.

“I try to share my skills with the students because someone shared theirs with me,” says Professor Crute. “My main focus in research is to try and make chemistry more accessible and fun. People think chemistry is a bad thing, but it’s not.”

Dr. Crute also serves as the director of the CSRA Regional Science and Engineering Fair, which caters to 20,000 4th through 12th grade students and is held each year at either the University of South Carolina in Aiken or ASU.

His other civic leadership includes event director for the Broad Street Ramble Road Race, webmaster for the Suzuki Strings of Augusta, Inc., and chair of the Career and Professional Development Committee for the Savannah River section of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Crute is also active in university service as a member of the Arts and Sciences Post Tenure Review Committee. He also serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Chemical Education, a member of the Board of Directors of NitrOSystems, Inc., the University System of Georgia Academic Advisory Committee in Chemistry, and CSRA Science and Engineering Fair, Inc., Board of Directors.

In his spare time, the father of daughters Elizabeth and Lindsay enjoys promoting fitness by participating in marathons with his family. He was the president of the Augusta Striders from 2001-2002.

“I race and compete as well,” says Dr. Crute. “My whole family is active in running.”

Dr. Crute also tries to keep up with his two daughters on the violin. When he and his wife Jackie signed them up to play with the Suzuki Strings of Augusta, they had to take lessons.

“The neat thing about the organization is that the parents have to take lessons before their children,” he says. “That way, when your child is complaining that their fingers hurt, they can’t hold the violin, or their neck hurts, we understand what they are going through.” He still plays, although he says his daughters have definitely surpassed him skill-wise.

Dr. Crute’s latest publication, which will appear in the Journal of Chemical Education, is Teaching Significant Figures Using Age Conversions. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia in 1986 and his doctoral degree in organic chemistry from the University of South Carolina in 1991, when he began teaching at Augusta State.

Who: Dr. Thomas Crute

What department: Chemistry and Physics          

Position: Associate Professor of Chemistry

Native of: Richmond, Va.

Family: Wife, Jackie; two daughters, Elizabeth and Lindsay

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