Stafford to Retire in 2012

Dr. Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, has announced that he will retire by mid-2012 after a 40-year career with NC State.

Stafford, who became vice chancellor in 1983, has served in research and administrative positions at the university since 1971.

“Tom has been a great advocate for students,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said. “He established the ‘students first’ philosophy that guides student affairs and will be his legacy.”

Stafford’s national service includes a three-year stint on a committee to advise the U.S. Secretary of Defense on issues relating to women in the military. He was the only North Carolinian and one of three men on the 35-member committee. He is an active member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and has served as secretary-treasurer and president of the organization.

Stafford is the 1999 recipient of the Women’s Equity Award from the NC State Council on the Status of Women. He was honored in 2002 with the establishment of the Thomas H. Stafford Jr. Spirit Bell, awarded each year to the overall winner of the Alumni Association’s Homecoming Spirit Competition.

Stafford served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and has been a strong advocate for the military. He is also known for his professional and personal commitment to physical fitness and the important role that it plays in student health.

He served as chair of the board of directors for the Triangle Chapter of the American Red Cross. He has been an active member in the North Carolina Fossil Club and conducts volunteer fossil program presentations within the Wake County School System.

Stafford is a native of Henderson, N.C. He received his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, his master’s from NC State and his Ph.D. from Florida State University. He has made numerous presentations at regional and national conferences and has authored 22 research reports and several journal publications about college students.