Ralph serves as Assistant Vice President for Organizational Leadership in University Academic Affairs at Rutgers University. In this role, he directs the Rutgers Office of Organizational Leadership and provides executive leadership for a portfolio of signature leadership development programs, consultation services, and applied research initiatives. Ralph serves as a trusted advisor for senior leaders across Rutgers in the areas of change leadership, crisis leadership, organizational strategy, and continuous improvement. In partnership with the four Chancellor-led units, he facilitates the alignment of localized planning activities with major university priorities, ensures consistency of academic leadership development efforts across the institution, and oversees initiatives aimed to strengthen organizational effectiveness. He is responsible for the advancement of academic change and transformation projects of strategic importance to the university. Ralph is engaged in numerous university-wide committees and task forces, including serving as co-chair of the Presidential Employee Excellence Committee and as a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study Working Group.
Ralph holds part-time faculty appointments in the Department of Communication (School of Communication and Information), Ph.D. Program in Higher Education (Graduate School of Education), Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), and Rutgers Business School. He teaches courses in undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and executive education programs.
His research and consulting interests explore topics related to leadership, crisis, strategy, team dynamics, organizational communication, and training and development within the context of higher education.
He is author and editor of 10 books and over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
His recent books include the following:
- Post-Crisis Leadership: Resilience, Renewal, and Reinvention in the Aftermath of Disruption (Rutgers University Press, 2025)
- Leadership in Digital Contexts (with C. Goldthwaite and S. Spear, Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2023)
- A Guide for Leaders in Higher Education: Concepts, Competencies, and Tools (2nd edition, with B. Ruben & R. De Lisi, Stylus Publishing, 2021)
- Leadership in Academic Health Centers: Core Concepts and Critical Cases (with C. Goldthwaite, Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2021)
- Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Theory and Practice (Rutgers University Press, 2019)
Ralph is president of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)—an organization of nearly 100 colleges and universities from across North America who seek to advance sustainable excellence in higher education by promoting successful practices and approaches used to drive change, innovation, and continuous improvement across academic and administrative functions. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners (National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce), co-lead for the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) Team Science Core, and co-lead of the Distinction in Leadership in Academic Healthcare Program at Rutgers University. He is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and Birkman Certified Professional. He is an active member of the International Leadership Association and National Communication Association.
Ralph is the recipient of numerous national and local teaching, research, and service awards.
Contact Information:
Email: ralph.gigliotti@rutgers.edu
Voice/Message: (848) 932-3965
Fax: (732) 932-1422