UAlbany Names Alfredo Medina as Special Adviser to the Capital South Campus Center

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 28, 2015) -- The University at Albany has named Alfredo Medina as special adviser for educational engagement at the Capital South Campus Center (CSCC).

With public engagement an important part of UAlbany’s mission as a public research university and a priority of President Robert J. Jones's vision, the University and CSCC have entered a new and promising community-higher education partnership to assist youth and adults in distressed urban neighborhoods in pursuing meaningful pathways to educational and employment opportunities.

Medina, who assumed office in February of this year, works closely with several UAlbany units including the President’s Office as well as the chief executive officer of the Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Harris Oberlander, and Center Director James Thomas to advance community-higher education partnerships.

As special adviser, Medina recruits and coordinates UAlbany expertise across disciplinary units to build a base of integrated support and input for immediate priorities and longer-term needs for CSCC.

"This Center," President Jones said at the Center ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2014, "is a unique community-based portal to the region’s higher education institutions, providing economically disadvantaged families a gateway to a better future through education, training, and services. It is a big idea with local to national resonance."

Alfredo Medina

Alfredo Medina
Prior to joining UAlbany, Medina was associate vice president for academic affairs, risk management and compliance at Siena College, where he also served in leadership roles in sponsored programs and government and foundation relations. In addition, he gained extensive experience in the nonprofit sector at the grassroots and executive level for agencies such as the New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. and the Urban League of Northeastern New York, Inc.

Medina has spearheaded numerous coalition-building initiatives with public and private institutions to strengthen higher education access and partnerships. Due to his success, Medina has been recognized for his work as a 40 Under Forty Award recipient by the Albany Business Review, 40 Under Forty Rising Latino Star recipient by the Hispanic Coalition of New York and the Excelsior Award by the Albany Latin Festival Association.

Medina holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Utica College of Syracuse University (1994), a Master of Science in educational psychology and statistics from the University at Albany (1997), and Certificate in the Management Development Program from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

About the Capital South Campus Center (CSCC)
The Capital South Campus Center is an innovative partnership formed of Trinity Alliance, Albany Housing Authority, the University at Albany and other local institutions of higher education to bring opportunities into the heart of the South End’s learning community.

CSCC represents "Phase 1" of a larger redevelopment plan for Lincoln Square, a 4.5-acre superblock in the City of Albany's South End, into a mixed-use educational campus. The vision for an educational campus stems from the City of Albany's 2007 Capital South Plan: SEGway to the Future, a comprehensive revitalization project created by a broad cross section of community stakeholders.

The Center, opened in October 2014, hosts training, education and community functions, while incorporating child care and youth programming for the purpose of stabilizing disadvantaged families today, and positioning them for the employment opportunities of tomorrow.

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