SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Jim Grillo was honored with the Alfred State President’s Medallion Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Alfred State Lake Lodge.
The President’s Medallion was instituted in 2008 and is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to Alfred State. The college recognizes and commemorates the efforts of supporters and advocates dedicated to the mission of Alfred State.
From 1967 to 1968, Grillo fought in Vietnam as part of a Marine Recon unit, having been wounded three times and earning three Purple Hearts, with duties ranging from infantry machine gunner to platoon sergeant. He returned to the US in 1968, having been forced to retire from the military because of the wounds he received in combat.
Following his service in the Marines, Grillo returned to college, receiving two degrees from Alfred University: a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 1971 and a Master of Science in counseling and guidance in 1972. The latter year, he also took his first job at Alfred State as a residence hall director of Robinson/Champlin Hall.
In 1973, Grillo became a counselor in the Admissions Office. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the assistant director of Admissions three years later, and then the dean of Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid in 1978, a position he would hold until 1989.
That year, Grillo joined the Business Department as an associate professor, becoming department chair in 1993, a position he held until 1999. He then served as the dean of the School of Management and Engineering Technology for less than a year until he was named the dean of Marketing and Enrollment Management in November of 1999.
A year and a half later, Grillo became the vice president for Marketing and Enrollment Management., and then vice president for Administration and Enrollment Management. He rejoined the Business Department faculty in 2005, where he has remained ever since. He also served a total of eight years as Faculty Senate chair.
Throughout his career at Alfred State, Grillo has received a number of significant honors and awards, including the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 1980, the Business Teacher of the Year Alumni Award in 1992 and 1993, being recognized among the Who’s Who In Teaching in 1996, and being named a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2007.
At the end of the 2017-2018 school year, Grillo is retiring after 46 years of working at Alfred State. Looking back on his outstanding career, Grillo noted he wouldn’t change a thing and that he has loved every minute he has worked at the college.