CRANFORD, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is proud to announce that president of the College Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin has been named 2023 Woman of the Year by the Irish Business Association (IBA) of New Jersey, part of the Greater Westfield Area Chamber Commerce. The award was presented to Dr. McMenamin on June 29 at the IBA 13th Annual Awards Dinner.
Dr. McMenamin was appointed as president of the College in July 2010 and is its first female president. Under her leadership, the College has seen drastic improvements to student success outcomes, particularly the graduation rates. In 2020, Dr. McMenamin was named the National Marie Y. Martin CEO of the Year by the Association of Community College Trustees. In 2022, the Aspen Institute for College Excellence named UCNJ as one of only 25 semifinalists nationwide for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. As it relates to her Irish heritage, Dr. McMenamin served as Grand Marshal of the UCNJ County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2015.
“We are delighted about this well-deserved recognition of President McMenamin. She is very proud of her Irish heritage, so I know this award is special to her. We are thankful to the IBA for honoring this great leader and proud Irish-American as their Woman of the Year,” stated UCNJ Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel.
UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ 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 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
Medellus Recognized for Intellectual Achievement, Leadership, Community and Campus Engagement
Cranford – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ student Carine Medellus, of Roselle, is one of only 20 college students nationwide named to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. More than 2400 students were nominated for this award. Medellus is studying biology at UCNJ and has a 4.0 grade point average. She is the Committee Leader of Scholarship in Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the Vice President of the Research Club, an American Honors Program student, and a peer tutor in the College’s Academic Learning Center. Medellus is currently working on an undergraduate research project with her dedicated professors.
Team members were selected for their outstanding intellectual achievement, leadership, community, and campus engagement. The All-USA Academic Team is sponsored by Cengage, with additional support provided by PTK and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students attending associate degree-granting institutions. Each college may nominate two students for showing intellectual rigor and demonstrating academic achievement, leadership, and civic growth. The program also recognizes students who extend their community college education to better themselves, their schools, and their surrounding communities.
“We are deeply inspired by the achievements of this year’s All-USA Academic Team. With so much focus and pressure on which post-secondary institution a student attends, these students show that the real keys to success are hard work and determination,” said Edwin Robles, Senior Vice President and General Manager, US Higher Education and Canada, Cengage. “Community colleges play an important role in providing affordable education that helps students transition successfully to the workforce or a four-year institution. Despite facing significant enrollment headwinds since the pandemic, community colleges have been the most innovative in taking steps to make learning more flexible, affordable and accessible. We are proud to support these institutions and their students in their continued success.”
Additionally, Medellus was named a 2023 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship. Selection was based on the score earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. Medellus received the highest score in New Jersey. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, and AACC.
“The UCNJ community is very proud of Carine’s achievements and the recognitions she has earned during her time at UCNJ. Her strong work ethic and passion for success are going to help her accomplish great things,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin “We applaud the PTK faculty advisors and staff for their successful mentorship of Ms. Medellus. She has achieved what very few students have ever achieved.”
As for her plans after graduating from UCNJ, Medellus has been selected as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Buffalo for this upcoming summer. She plans to transfer to a four-year university and study biochemistry, and her career goal is to earn a doctorate and work as a researcher. Medellus will be recognized during the AACC convention at PTK’s Presidents Breakfast on April 3, 2023, in Denver, Colorado.
About Cengage
Cengage, the U.S. Higher Education business of global education technology company Cengage Group, serves millions of instructors, learners, and institutions. We deliver affordable, high-quality digital products and personalized support to power learning individually and at scale. Our customer-centered approach enables innovation, including Cengage Unlimited, the first and only all-access digital subscription for textbooks and course materials. Our textbooks, homework tools, and flagship online learning platforms, MindTap and WebAssign, help educators and students achieve their goals. Learn more at www.cengage.com.
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at www.ptk.org.
About UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ
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 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. For more information, visit https://www.ucc.edu/
CRANFORD, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is proud to announce that student Junaid Ilyas, of Roselle Park, has been selected as a Kaplan Leadership Scholar. Ilyas is one of only 11 students selected nationwide as a Kaplan Leadership Scholar.
The Kaplan Leadership Scholar Program, which is a part of the Kaplan Educational Foundation, targets students at two-year schools who demonstrate financial need, leadership potential, and educational acumen.
While pursuing his degree in engineering at UCNJ, Ilyas also serves as a tutor to his fellow students in the Academic Learning Center and is an American Honors student. Regarding Ilyas’ future, he plans to further his education by pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, with a career goal of being a vehicle engineer. Specifically, he plans to be a part of the innovation side of vehicle design, creating ideas that he believes “other gear-heads would go crazy over.”
“Junaid is a dedicated student and is a great example of hard work resulting in tremendous opportunity,” states UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “The financial support provided by the Kaplan Educational Foundation is transformative, and we are proud of Junaid for being one of only 11 students across the country to be selected for this honor.” Ilyas is the fourth student from UCNJ selected as a Kaplan Leadership Scholar. Marlon Artega (UCNJ ’22) shared his experience being selected as a Scholar, which can be found here.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater UCNJ County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. UCNJ was named a semifinalist for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. For more information on UCNJ, go to https://www.ucc.edu/ and for more information on the Kaplan Leadership Scholar program, go to https://www.kaplanedfoundation.org/
CRANFORD – The UCNJ Foundation recently launched a new student success initiative, the Women 100 Project which helps to raise funds to support UCNJ’s female students. The mission of the project is to empower the next generation of women leaders – a critical endeavor for the success of our community and nation. Through the generous support of Women 100 Project donors, the Foundation was able to develop a new Single Mothers Scholarship to assist eight single mothers who are working toward their degrees at UCNJ, with $500 each.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, “Just eight percent of single mother undergraduates in the United States earn an associate degree within six years of enrolling in college, compared with nearly half (49 percent) of women in college who are not mothers.” This is why the Women 100 Single Mothers Scholarship is so vital. As shared from one of the recipients, “I am currently unemployed due to COVID. I also have an eight-year-old son and trying to take care of him while on unemployment is really difficult. This scholarship will help me better myself in life,” stated Alexsandra, a Single Mothers Scholarship recipient. This scholarship will aim to ensure that single mothers at UCNJ receive the assistance they need to achieve their dream of a college education.
“This is just the start of the Women 100 Project,” stated UCNJ Foundation Executive Director Doug Rouse. “We look forward to raising more funds and helping to support many female students through programming and scholarships at UCNJ.”
To support the project, a donation of $100 can be made from an individual, corporate, or community leaders. For more information on the Women 100 Project and how you can support this initiative, please visit www.ucc.edu/women100.
CRANFORD – On October 19, 2021, UCNJ unveiled a plaque to dedicate Weidenburner Hall. Formerly known as the Humanities Building, the building was renamed Weidenburner Hall in honor of the nearly $2.7 million donation by the estate of UCNJ alumnus Bruce Weidenburner. This generous donation from Mr. Weidenburner is the single largest individual gift made to the UCNJ Foundation in its history.
Prior to his death, Mr. Weidenburner established this endowed scholarship with the UCNJ Foundation in his parents’ name. As a lifelong resident of Linden, Mr. Weidenburner developed his family’s scholarship to help Linden High School graduates receive a college degree.
Present for the unveiling were Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, Assemblyman James J. Kennedy, UCNJ County Commissioners Lourdes Leon and Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded; and UCNJ Board of Trustees Chairman Victor M. Richel.
“I am proud to be here today to recognize the generosity of a fellow resident of Linden. What a legacy to leave behind. This gift from the Weidenburner family will have a lasting impact on our community for generations to come. I look forward to helping Linden students expand their education by offering scholarships. It is imperative that this generosity helps our students. My office will always be there as a resource for all families seeking these scholarships,” stated Senator Scutari, who represents New Jersey’s 22nd legislative district which includes Linden.
Mr. Weidenburner, son of former United States Attorney and New Jersey Superior Court Judge Chester Weidenburner and his wife Emily, established this planned gift. Both of Mr. Weidenburner’s parents were members of the inaugural graduating class of the College. In recognition of the donation, which was made earlier in the year, the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors approved naming the building Weidenburner Hall at their joint meeting on May 25, 2021.
“As Mr. Weidenburner graciously chose to honor UCNJ with this transformative gift, we are reciprocating that honor by naming a building in recognition of this generosity. For years to come, not only will students who directly benefit financially from this gift walk our halls, but they will see this family’s name on the building. We are appreciative of the magnitude of this gift and are proud to honor the Weidenburner family,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
Senator Scutari and Mr. Richel following the unveiling.
