Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is celebrating its history and looking forward to the future! On October 18, the UCNJ community celebrated the 89th Founder’s Day at the College’s Cranford Campus, complete with a name change celebration and a new logo reveal! Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, the College was then known as UCNJ County Junior College. Effective this year, July 1, 2022, the College changed its name from UCNJ County College to UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ.
UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin welcomed attendees to the celebration and UCNJ’s Vice President of Student Development Dr. Demond T. Hargrove served as the Master of Ceremonies.
Attendees included UCNJ’s Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel; UCNJ’s Board of Governors Chair Mary M. Zimmermann (UCNJ ’01); Trustee Daryl Palmieri; Board of Governors members Melinda Ayala (UCNJ ’11), Nancy J. Benz (UCNJ ’73), Ryan J. Greco (UCNJ ’97), and Francis Raudelunas; Foundation Board Chair Maksim Sheyn (UCNJ ’01); New Jersey Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education Kathleen Comanto; UCNJ County Commissioners Lourdes M. Leon and Alexander Mirabella; Mayor of Plainfield Adrian Mapp (UCNJ ’86) and Mayor of Cranford Kathleen Miller Prunty; representatives from the Offices of Congressman Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Assemblyman Reginald Atkins (LD-20), Assemblywoman Linda Carter (LD-22), and Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (LD-21); and Superintendent of the Westfield Public Schools, Dr. Raymond A. González, Acting Superintendent of Plainfield Public Schools, Rashon Hasan, Superintendent of the UCNJ County Vocational Technical Schools in Scotch Plains, Gwen Ryan, and Superintendent of Cranford Public Schools, Dr. Scott Rubin.
The lively, well-attended event included a sparkling cider toast before the grand logo reveal. UCNJ’s new logo incorporates the traditional red and white that the College has used in the past, in addition to a new, darker red to complete the design. The logo features a flame, for UCNJ’s seal, “Fiat Lux,” in the shape of the letter “U,” representing UCNJ. The logo was well received by our students, staff, and friends of the College. Following the formal event, attendees were invited to sign a commemorative banner, get a free t-shirt with the new logo, and enjoy a cupcake while the deejay (a UCNJ ’15 alum), kept the crowd entertained.
“This is an exciting time at the College. We are delighted to be celebrating 89 years of positive economic and social impact on our diverse community, resuming the use of a former name, and the launch our new logo. However, regardless of the name or logo, we will continue our mission to transform our community, one student at a time,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college which will continue to provide quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. As the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students, UCNJ has a rich history and decades of impact on the community. The College operates campuses in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains. In addition to physical campuses, the College offers more than 20 programs that can also be completed online as part of our emerging Virtual Campus. UCNJ was named a Semifinalist for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. For more information about UCNJ, visit www.ucc.edu.