Eleven months out of the year, you can find Greg Crawford on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, where he’s the Dean of the College of Science.

But for the past three summers, you can find him on the road, on his bike, riding across America.

He puts in eight-hour days on his bike, all in an effort to raise awareness about a rare disease that often kills children in their adolescence.

Through his riding, Greg says he’s hoping to establish a center for rare and neglected diseases because pharmaceutical companies aren’t focusing on them because there’s not a good revenue model for diseases like this.

The disease that spurred Greg to make a difference is Niemann-Pick Type C, which claimed the lives of former Notre Dame head football coach Ara Parseghian’s three young grandchildren. Together, Parseghian’s and Greg’s cycling have raised more than $1 million.

Find out why Greg calls his bike rides the road to discovery and how the dean of a major university can fit 3,200-mile bike rides into his schedule. He offers tips to help you get involved in the causes you’re passionate about.

Editor’s note: Since we first produced this story, Greg Crawford has moved on from Notre Dame and is now the President of Miami University in Oho. He still remains committed to raising money and participating in charity events for Niemann-Pick Type C.