Dr. Eric Stokes is assistant vice provost for strategic enrollment services and director of undergraduate admissions and orientation at the University of Memphis. He proudly joined the Tiger family in the summer of 2017. In his 16-year college admissions career, he has traveled nationally to inspire students. A few career highlights include directing a summer institute for underserved college freshmen, coordinating overnight campus visit programs, and mentoring students to become college graduates, leaders, and young professionals. An enthusiastic educator with a passion to serve his community, he leads a team of 40 people to recruit and enroll new Tigers.
Eric is a native of Knoxville, and is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2002) and The University of Tennessee Knoxville (2004, 2017). His dissertation title was: The impact of non-cognitive factors on first-year GPA for university eligible students from low-performing high schools. Eric was a 2021-2022 Maxine Smith Fellow, a 2017-2019 board member of SACAC (Southern Association of College Admissions Counselors), as well as the 2015-2018 co-chair for NACAC’s (National Association of College Admissions Counselors) African American Special Interest Group.
Eric has a beautiful and phenomenal wife, Dr. Jamia Stokes, who is the senior director of Postsecondary Pathways for TN SCORE. They have been married for 16 years and have three children. Kendalyn is a sophomore at the University of Memphis, Evan is an energetic 7-year-old and granddaughter, Kylinn, is 3 years old and full of personality. Eric is the son of Douglas and Beverly Stokes, long-time educators in Knoxville, and has an older brother and younger sister, both college graduates as well. In his spare time, Eric enjoys interacting with family and friends, traveling, watching TV and movies, trying to be something-like-a pit master on the grill, playing PlayStation, and coaching sports. He is a second-generation brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Eric is most proud to be a Christian and a member of Rogers Memorial Baptist Church.
