Chat with Rob Alpi and he’ll tell you, excitedly, how he’s a “big fan” of all things Stony Brook and the job he gets to do here in the new role of Marketing & Communications Coordinator for Student, Health, Wellness & Prevention Services. Talk with him more and you’ll agree this role is perfect for the self-described “people-person” who, while not an alum, proudly points out he was “literally born down the road and across the traffic circle from where I sit now. At Stony Brook University Hospital.”

Rob says, “I’ve wanted a job like this my whole life and couldn’t be more thrilled to do it here. I get to work with others to help ensure that marketing across our area of Health & Wellness within Student Affairs, as well  as  the whole division, is handled cohesively and consistently. I get to collaborate with awesome colleagues who’ve welcomed me with open arms. I have direct access to leaders. Most significantly, for me, I feel like the work we all do can help create an enjoyable and fulfilling life for thousands of students.”

With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media & Communications from SUNY at Old Westbury, an Associates of Applied Sciences degree in Radio & Television Production from Suffolk Community College, and marketing and HR experience at Family Residences & Essential Enterprises, Rob says he especially enjoys the ‘storytelling’ aspect of his role:

“I love to be able to tell a story – create a narrative that can make a difference for people and make them feel something.” In Student, Health, Wellness & Prevention Services, that story is built around the area’s mission of empowering students to best maintain their own personal health and well-being through coordinated, integrated, accessible and continuously improving collegiate healthcare.

Rob’s job is less about “minute-to-minute” activities or “checking ‘to do’ sheet boxes,” he explains. It’s more about assisting the five departments within the broader group to determine, develop and reach each of their unique long-term goals. These groups are: Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO), Student Accessibility Support Center, and Recreation and Wellness. “That’s why I’m here – to help guide them and to increase student awareness and accessibility to resources, both new and existing."

He also strategizes regularly with Student Affairs’ Residential Life, Career Development, and Student Life areas. “There’s a really open line of communication between the departments. We bounce ideas off each other, and kicking those thoughts around goes a long way!” In general, he believes that “nothing beats personal interactions.” He realized early on, in his days as a camp counselor and in retail services, that being around others is something “I really like and am good at.”

Being around others is also a big part of the appeal for Rob of working on a big college campus. (And he’s glad he didn’t make the move he contemplated during college of  looking for work in the entertainment business out in Los Angeles.) “I regret never having gone to a big college for my own education, but now I feel like I’m growing as a person getting to work here. I walk around this big campus, among all the students, and think, ‘Who knows what they’ll each become one day.’ It’s all a lot of fun, Plus I’m a massive college sports fan and it’s a more personal experience here than at some of the bigger college stadiums.”

For his part, Rob hopes to bring his “positivity” and “calmness, even during ‘difficult situations’” to bear to positively affect student life here at Stony Brook. Looking ahead, he says he “can’t wait to experience the entire annual ‘college lifecycle’ this year and to really learn from everyone around me.”