Laurence Kruckman arrived at IUP in 1984 and played a role in restructuring the Anthropology Department, justifying and heading five search committees over a period of eight years.
Strongly in favor of applied anthropology, he conceptualized the archaeology institute and with Ginger Brown (director of Institute for Research-Community Service) led the search for its first director, Phil Neusius. Larry taught the senior theory seminar and courses such as medical anthropology, anthropology of birth, and social and cultural change. A champion of internships, he was internship coordinator for many years. In 2001, he received the university-wide Distinguished Professor Award for Teaching; and in 2010, the College Research Award.
A medical anthropologist with a focus on birth issues, he completed an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship in international public health at the University of Illinois Medical Center and became a founding member of Postpartum Support International. He was acting president and a longtime PSI board member. At IUP he created and edited, along with maternal specialist Carolyn White (his spouse) and many IUP anthropology students, the PSI website, postpartum.net for 15 years. Kruckman helped pioneer the role of social support as prevention. His 2000 research article, “Reinventing Fatherhood,” in Social Science and Medicine was one of the first large studies on the role of fathers in the postpartum; it followed many earlier publications on motherhood.
He has received numerous accolades for his work, and recently PSI named a scholarship, the Kruckman-White Postpartum Depression Prevention Award, in his and Carolyn's honor. Named IUP professor emeritus in 2012, he is now retired and lives with Carolyn near Madison, Wisconsin.