Dr. Thomas J. Grites '66, M.S. '67

Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

• Retired Provost, Stockton University; Absecon, New Jersey
• Major: Mathematics/Counselor Education

Thomas Grites has 50-plus years of service in education. He spent over four decades at Stockton University in various positions before retiring as assistant provost in 2020, after which he’s continued to serve as a part-time academic advisor and adjunct faculty member.

At Stockton, his roles included director of academic advising, interim director of teacher education, interim dean of social and behavioral sciences, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs, and assistant provost for academic support. Outside of his university work, he continues to write for professional publications, conduct conference presentations, and provide consultations. He has also served on his local board of education for 36 years.

Grites has an accomplished portfolio, having written over 50 journal articles, book chapters, and professional reports, delivering more than 125 conference presentations, and conducting faculty development workshops and academic advising program reviews on over 100 campuses.

Grites is especially proud of a transfer seminar program he implemented at Stockton to provide transfer students the same level of care, engagement, and appreciation as what’s usually provided to incoming college freshman.

He was additionally a founding member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA); he holds a perfect attendance record in the NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising annual conference, having attended them annually since the first conference in 1977. He has been recognized by NACADA, the American College Personnel Association, and the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students for his work and has previously received alumni awards from Illinois State’s College of Education and from the University of Maryland, where he obtained his doctorate.