Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin was honored by the Urban League of Union County as the recipient of the 2023 Ella S. Teal President Award. Dr. McMenamin received the award at their 47th Equal Opportunity Day Dinner & Gala held on December 8, 2023.
Dr. McMenamin was selected for this recognition based on her transformative leadership at the College and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Dr. McMenamin was appointed president of the College in 2010 and serves as its first female president. Under her leadership, UCNJ has seen drastic improvements to student success outcomes. When the overall college graduation rate increased but those of African American / Black males did not, Dr. McMenamin started the Project Achievement Initiative, which combines dynamic advising with a programming component to ensure the success of African American male students. This initiative has more than quintupled the African American male graduation rate over the last decade.
In 2020, Dr. McMenamin was named the National Marie Y. Martin CEO of the Year by the Association of Community College Trustees. This fall, for the third consecutive time, the College was once again named a Top 150 U.S. Community College by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program making the College eligible to apply for the $1 million 2025 Aspen Prize. This follows the College being named as one of only 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Aspen Prize.
“We are very proud of President McMenamin for receiving this well-deserved recognition by the Urban League of Union County. The College takes pride in its diverse student population and providing access to quality higher education to underserved populations. Once enrolled, Dr. McMenamin and her team are laser focused on ensuring that students who start at UCNJ complete their degrees,” stated UCNJ Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel.
The Urban League of Union County is a non-profit community service organization founded in 1944. Its mission is to assist African Americans and other underserved people in the achievement of social and economic equality.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 and a top 150 for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.
