Alfredo Merino

Dr. Alfredo (Al) Merino, Ed.D., Emeritus Professor of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education, and Associate Dean Emeri-tus of SDSU Imperial Valley peacefully passed away on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in San Diego, CA. Born in Santa Rita, New Mexico, to Grego-ria and Jesus Francisco Merino, he grew up on a working ranch along-side five brothers and two sisters.

Dr. Merino enlisted in the Navy in 1949 and served aboard the USS Princeton during the Korean War. Following his military service, he returned to New Mexico and pursued higher education at New Mexico Western University while working in the sheriff’s department.

His career in education began at Franklin Junior High in San Bernar-dino, CA, where he served as a drafting teacher, counselor, and even-tually became the youngest Latino principal in the San Bernardino Unified School District. Dr. Merino's passion for education led him to pursue a doctorate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, sponsored by the Ford Foundation. He later interned as a superinten-dent of public schools in Rochester, NY, and Trenton, NJ, through the Rockefeller Foundation.

In 1974, Dr. Merino joined San Diego State University's School of Ed-ucation under the mentorship of Dr. Tomas Arcniega. He established groundbreaking programs with the Carnegie Foundation aimed at train-ing women and minorities for administrative roles. His dedication ex-tended to creating educational administration programs in Imperial Valley and Mexicali, and he later served as Associate Dean at SDSU's Imperial Valley Campus.

A dedicated educator, Al left a lasting impact on countless students. His passion for education was evident in his optimism and commitment to fostering the success of future school administrators. He wasn't just a teacher; he was a role model who inspired his students to ex-cel. Witnessing their promotions brought him immense satisfaction. Beyond the classroom, Al enjoyed camaraderie with colleagues playing golf with the SDSU Retirement Golf group.

Outside academia, Dr. Merino was deeply involved in community service through the Kiwanis Club, where he held leadership roles and orga-nized local events. Even after retirement, he continued to mentor high school students and supported them through programs like Boys State.

Dr. Merino's greatest joy came from his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. His legacy of leadership, mentorship, and service will be cherished by all who knew him.

His Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 10:00 am at the San Carlos United Methodist Church. Reception to immediately follow.

Cards are welcomed, but in lieu of flowers we invite you to make a donation to the Dr. Alfred Merino Memorial Scholarship. This endowed scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate and/or graduate from San Diego State University and the Imperial Valley Campus from the College of Education. Link: www.sdsualumni.org/merinomemorialscholarship