A distinguished professor emeritus of geography, Dr. Charles F. "Fritz" Gritzner retired from academia in 2010 from South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings after 30 years on campus.
BROOKINGS, SD, July 30, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Charles F. "Fritz" Gritzner, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Gritzner celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A distinguished professor emeritus of geography, Dr. Gritzner retired from academia in 2010 from South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings after 30 years on campus. Renowned for his expertise, he taught more than 70 different courses during his career. Approaching the subject holistically, he served an instrumental role in the lives of a myriad of students over the years as both a teacher and mentor. He also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with many master's degree students as a theses and paper advisor and was involved with his fellow colleagues by teaching hundreds of workshops and courses for in-service educators. Prior to his tenure at SDSU, Dr. Gritzner held teaching appointments at the University of Houston, the Oregon College of Education, the University of Montana, Louisiana State University and East Carolina University between 1960 and 1979.
Some of Dr. Gritzner's other professional pursuits have included serving as both the president and executive director of the National Council for Geographic Education and as a coordinator of the South Dakota Geography Alliance and the South Dakota Geography Bee. He also worked for the Core Knowledge Foundation as a consultant, writer and editor and for Chelsea House Publishers as a consulting editor and author. A prolific writer, Dr. Gritzner has notably authored more than 30 geography text and trade books. He also contributed numerous articles to scholarly journals and was a contributing editor to the 'Panorama' feature in the Journal of Geography. In 2019, he released "North Carolina Ghost Lights and Legends." The book, which serves as a guide for ghost light seekers or those intrigued by ghost stories and folklore, includes maps, site descriptions and stories of dozens of ghost light locations throughout the state that have long been an unexplained phenomenon in North Carolina.
A dedicated civic advocate, Dr. Gritzner is a member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Program, where he teaches various non-credit courses to adults over the age of 50. Designed to educate people on a range of liberal arts and sciences, the program does not give out assignments or tests, but instead promotes the simple joy of learning. To support his career, Dr. Gritzner has been aligned with several pertinent organizations. Among them, he is a member of the National Council for Geographic Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geography Society, the American Association of Geographers and the National Council for the Social Studies.
After graduating from high school in 1954, Dr. Gritzner pursued a formal education at Arizona State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in geography in 1958. He subsequently completed both a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in geography and cultural anthropology at Louisiana State University in 1960 and 1969, respectively. Recognized for his 50 years of teaching experience, Dr. Gritzner has been honored with multiple awards, including the prestigious George J. Miller Award for Distinguished Service to Geographic Education in 1997 from the National Council for Geographic Education and the Gilbert M. Grosvenor Honors for Geographic Education from the American Association of Geographers in 2006. He also proudly accepted the Distinguished Mentor Award from the National Council for Geographical Education in 2001 and the Distinguished Teaching Honors Award from the Association of American Geographers in 2004. He was notably SDSU's sixth faculty member to be acknowledged as a Distinguished Professor by the South Dakota Board of Regents as well.
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