New Jersey Institute of Technology’s new vice provost for enrollment management, Susan Gross, brings 20 years of experience in admissions and financial aid at universities and law schools.

Gross arrives after more than eight years at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she was assistant vice president for enrollment management and earlier, director of financial aid. During that period, Stevens saw applications nearly double, enrollment increase by more than a third and the percentage of female and underrepresented students rise steadily.

At NJIT, Gross will develop recruitment strategies, set strategic goals and optimize the recruitment and enrollment process, with a particular focus on deepening the diversity of the student body. The university’s current first-year class is the largest and most diverse ever, and brought enrollment to an all-time high of 12,000.

“NJIT’s commitment to providing access to the highest quality educational experience to its students aligns with my reasons for pursuing a long-standing career in higher education, particularly the opportunity to provide a solid foundation for individuals to realize their educational and career goals,” said Gross, who’ll lead a staff of about 50 across the Offices of Admissions, Student Financial Aid Services and the Registrar.

“Susan’s success at Stevens, particularly in attracting students from underserved communities, aligns with our goal of opening doors for and attracting talented and diverse students who will thrive at NJIT,” said Interim Provost and Senior Executive Vice President Atam Dhawan, to whom Gross will report. “She also shares our belief that a symbiotic relationship among admissions, financial aid and the registrar is key to attracting and retaining students.”

Before Stevens, Gross was university director of financial aid at Fairleigh Dickinson University and interim dean of admissions and financial aid at New York Law School, where she earlier served as senior director of admissions and financial aid. She also held admissions and financial aid roles at Seton Hall University School of Law.

Gross, who describes herself as creative, data-inspired and student-centered, holds a master’s in student personnel administration from New York University and a bachelor’s in communications from Muhlenberg College.