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Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ has partnered with Jobs for the Future (JFF), Achieving the Dream (ATD), and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) to enhance the economic mobility of adult students. Nine colleges across three states are involved, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Virginia. UCNJ will collaborate with other NJ colleges to enhance student success.

Each state will receive $200,000 for this 18 month initiative. Funding is supported by Ascendium, the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, and ECMC Foundation. The grant will support UCNJ’s efforts to improve academic advising with an emphasis on utilization of career tools and help increase the retention rate for part-time underrepresented minority adult students. This initiative aligns with UCNJ’s institutional priority of social justice and equity. This population is critical to achieving our state’s attainment goal of 65 percent of working age New Jerseyans having a degree or credential of value by 2025.

According to JFF, the Improving Economic Mobility for Adult Learners Initiative aims to improve postsecondary success for adult learners. This initiative was developed to further expand what states and individual institutions have already done to improve the outcomes for adult learners at two-year colleges. JFF defines adult learners as individuals who are 21+ years old and have not yet completed a postsecondary certification or degree.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to re-focus on our non-traditional students. Our non-traditional students face added challenges including additional work and family obligations, so we are committed to providing the added support these students need. We believe that working together with JFF and ATD through the Improving Economic Mobility for Adult Learners Initiative, we can refine our approaches and demonstrate progress on some key leading indicators, with a goal of closing those achievement gaps. We are grateful to JFF and ATD for their partnership in this critical endeavor not just for those individual students but for our UCNJ County community as a whole,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

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.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is proud to announce that Chemistry Professor Shahrzad “Sherry” Heidary, will receive the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) 2023 Northeast Region Faculty Award. Professor Heidary will formally accept the award in October at the Awards Presentation during the 54th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress in Las Vegas. By receiving the Northeast Region award, Professor Heidary is eligible to receive the national William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award. The winner will also be named at the Leadership Congress in Las Vegas.

Professor Sherry Heidary joined the College in 2006 as an adjunct instructor. During her time at the College, she has served as an advisor to the Student Government Association, American Honors Council, and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Additionally, she serves as a Trustee on the UCNJ County College Foundation Board and as a board member of the YWCA of UCNJ County. Professor Heidary is highly present and visible on campus, goes above and beyond for students, and extremely active in scholarship and fundraising endeavors. In fact, both of the College’s 2023 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation transfer scholarship recipients received the Professor Heidary scholarship to help fund the cost of attendance. She has a B.S. in Polymer Engineering and a M.S. in Polymer Science.

“We are very proud of Professor Heidary. There is no one more deserving of this recognition. She is a master teacher, and she loves her students. She goes above and beyond to help them excel in their classes. For a chemistry professor to be truly beloved, it is quite the feat. We count Professor Heidary among our most outstanding faculty at UCNJ,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

The ACCT is a non-profit educational organization that represents more than 6500 elected and appointed trustees who govern more than 1200 community colleges, and over 11 million students, throughout the United States. The ACCT annually recognizes trustees and other community college leaders in each of its five regions for their contributions.

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. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ golfer Patrick Murray finished eighteenth in the nation, earning All-American honors, at the National Junior Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III National Golf Championship. The golf tournament was held in June in Chautauqua, New York.

As Murray swung through the competition, he earned an impressive score of 309 over the combined four-day tournament. Murray’s finish was the second best ever for UCNJ at a National Tournament. Murray’s academic performance was on par with his scoring; he earned a 4.0 GPA in the spring 2023 semester and was recognized as an All-American Honor student at the conclusion of nationals. Murray is a well-rounded student, serving as a peer tutor in UCNJ’s Academic Learning Center and is co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

“We are proud of Patrick’s performance at this year’s national championship. We look forward to seeing him compete for UCNJ again as he received a return bid to nationals next year. This is a fantastic achievement for Patrick under the leadership of our golf coach Professor Marc Postiglione,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

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. UCNJ offers 16 athletic programs for student-athletes. For more information on UCNJ’s athletic offerings, visit https://www.unionowls.com/landing/index.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ of Union County, NJ is proud to announce that longtime Golf Coach and Dean of STEM William Dunscombe was inducted into the National Junior Athletic Association (NJCAA) Golf Hall of Fame at this year’s NJCAA Division III National Golf Championship held in June in Chautauqua, New York.

The induction took place at the National Golf Coaches Annual meeting, held in conjunction with the NJCAA Division Golf Championships. Dean Dunscombe started his golf career at UCNJ in 1975, serving as Head Golf Coach until 2019. Over the course of his coaching career, Dean Dunscombe had 18 NJCAA National Tournament appearances (both individual and teams), more than 500 career wins, one Region XIX Championship, seven Garden State Athletic Conference Champions, and coached one All-American player. Four of his athletes went on to play professionally. Dean Duncombe was inducted into UCNJ’s own Hall of Fame in 1981.

“The UCNJ community is incredibly proud of Dean Dunscombe and thanks the NJCAA for their recognition of his vast contributions over the past 40 plus years,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “It is the support of coaches, like Dean Dunscombe, that help our athletes to grow and develop their skills. Dean Dunscombe has inspired many student-athletes during his time coaching, and he should be proud of the mark he has made on them. This is a tremendous recognition.”

UCNJ of Union 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. UCNJ offers 16 athletic programs for student-athletes. For more information on UCNJ’s athletic offerings, visit https://www.unionowls.com/landing/index.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ continues to expand its training programs for students interested in future-focused industries. Today, the College announced the addition of three non-credit cannabis certificate programs designed to provide job skills training for those interested in a cannabis career.

To address the critical need for workers in the industry, UCNJ has partnered with Green Flower, a leader in cannabis education, to offer these in-demand training programs, focusing on retail specialist training, cannabis extraction and product development, and cultivation.

“The cannabis field is a rapidly growing industry. With the legalization of recreational marijuana use in New Jersey, it is important to educate our community on the process of producing and selling cannabis products in a legal and ethical way,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “The partnership with Green Flower will provide our students the tools to learn about the cannabis industry and the many ways to pursue a career, with the use of Green Flower’s network.”

“Green Flower is thrilled to be partnering with UCNJ of UCNJ County New Jersey to offer our three cannabis industry training certificate programs. As the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, leaders from the college looked to find ways for students to become qualified to work in cannabis retail, extraction and product development, and agriculture environments. The growth of New Jersey’s cannabis industry will be due, in large part, to a well-trained workforce,” said Daniel Kalef, Executive Vice President of Higher Education for Green Flower.

With cannabis industry businesses regularly looking to fill a wide variety of positions—from entry-level to executive roles— these training programs give people the chance to stand out to potential employers as well.

“Like other highly regulated industries, the need to have expertise in material handling, quality control, patient care, security, transportation, horticulture and more, is vital to the success of all aspects of the industry and all things people will learn in these programs,” Kalef said.

Each certificate program is offered fully online and can be completed in approximately two months. Students can register and begin courses at any time. Upon certificate completion, graduates will have access to Green Flower’s employer network. Courses cost $850 each and are now open for enrollment.

For more information on UCNJ’s certificate programs please visit ucc.edu/cannabistraining.

The UCNJ County College Foundation will be hosting the 8th Annual Close the Gap Cocktail Reception on Thursday, July 13 at Galloping Hill Golf Course located in Kenilworth, NJ, with the event kicking off at 6:00 PM. This event supports the College’s strategic initiative to increase the graduation rates of African-American students, to effectively “close the achievement gap.”

This year’s event honors Fountain Baptist Church in Summit, NJ along with its Pastor J. Michael Sanders, and UCNJ 2016 alumnus McDaniel Jeantus. Fountain Baptist Church is celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. Pastor Sanders is retiring after dedicating 40 years to the Fountain Baptist Church. The College’s Foundation will present the inaugural Frank Bolden Honorary Award to Pastor Sanders for his unwavering commitment to our mission of accelerating the pace of African-American student success. Jeantus was a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation transfer scholarship and will receive the Young Alumni Award at this event.

“While we have been laser focused over the past decade on helping our students reach graduation, despite our efforts, there was a still a gap with our African-American graduation rate. The funds raised at Close the Gap support our students by providing critical financial support so they can cross that finish line and receive their college degree,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin

This is sure to be a wonderful night filled with great food, dancing, and cocktails all in support of helping to accelerate the pace of African-American student success at UCNJ. Since the start of the Close the Gap Campaign in 2015, the Foundation has raised approximately $400,000 to support student scholarships, emergency funding, and other support services. More importantly, during the same period, the graduation rates for African-American students have more than quintupled.

For more information and how to be a part of this year’s event to make a positive difference, please visit www.ucc.edu/ctg2023 or call the Foundation Office at 908-709-7505.

 

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 13^th 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.

CRANFORD, NJ -UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is proud to announce that Board of Governors member and UCNJ alumnus from the class of 1995, Brian Campbell, of Berkeley Heights, has been named a 2023 New Jersey Irish American Leader by Insider NJ.

Campbell grew up in Cranford and along with all six of his siblings and his father, he attended UCNJ and graduated with his associate degree. He went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s in business administration both from Rutgers University. Campbell currently serves as Vice President of Investor Relations at Wiley based in Hoboken.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is proud to announce that four students, Dejanayha Hill, Katherine Mejia, Gabrielle Mojena, and Precious Opaola, have been selected to participate in a summer intensive program at Princeton University. Seven community colleges from New Jersey were invited to have students apply for this summer program with only 35 students accepted to this summer’s cohort.

The summer intensive program at Princeton will take place from June 26 to August 18, with students taking two, four-credit courses, at no cost to the student. The first course is research and argument, which is a writing course, and the second course is quant lab, with five options. These options include: computer programming, engineering, humanistic approaches to media and data, life sciences, or visualizing data. Each course includes “course fellows,” which are peers who have already successfully completed the course and will act as additional support for the students. 

Dejanayha Hill, of Linden, is one of four UCNJ students selected for Princeton’s summer program. She is pursuing her degree in social services at UCNJ and is part of the American Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, and is a student worker for College Life. She plans to continue her studies in social work by transferring to a four-year institution after she graduates from UCNJ. Her career goal is to obtain her master’s in social work and become a children’s therapist.

Katherine Mejia, of Plainfield, is currently studying social services and is a member of the American Honors program, PTK, and the Educational Opportunity Fund. She plans to continue her studies at a four-year institution and her career goal is to work in the social work field, specializing in immigration.

Gabrielle Mojena, of Linden, is an architecture major. She is a member of PTK and the Architecture Club. After she graduates from UCNJ, she plans on continuing her education at a four-year university to obtain her bachelor’s degree in architecture. Her career goal is to be a licensed architect and someday own her own architecture firm.

Precious Opaola, of Linden, is also studying social services at UCNJ. She is part of the American Honors program and a tutor at UCNJ’s Academic Learning Center. After she graduates from UCNJ, she is hopes to transfer to Rutgers University, Columbia University, or the University of California, Berkeley and wants to continue studying social work.  

“What a special opportunity for our four scholars to attend and learn at Princeton University, at no cost to them,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “At UCNJ, we help set our students up for success with transformational opportunities to broaden and enhance their experience.”

For more information on the Princeton Summer Intensive Program, go to https://tsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/.

CRANFORD, NJ – UCNJ is proud to announce that its former dean, Dr. Lester Edgardo Sandres Rápalo, has been named the next president of Rockland Community College (RCC) in Suffern, New York. RCC is a part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The Rockland and SUNY Boards approved the appointment, and Dr. Rápalo will begin his new role as the President of RCC starting on July 1, 2023.

Dr. Rápalo joined UCNJ in 2015 as the Dean of Social Sciences, Business, and History before becoming Dean of the Elizabeth Campus & Institute for Intensive English. After UCNJ, Dr. Rapalo went on to serve as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bronx Community College, City University of New York (CUNY). Prior to joining UCNJ, Dr. Rápalo worked at Valencia College in Florida as the Interim Dean of the Humanities and Foreign Language Department and as the Chair of the Foreign Language Department. He began his administrative career at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as the Program Director of the Study Abroad Program. Dr. Rápalo earned his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, Master of Business Administration from Syracuse University, Master of Arts in Literature and Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Massachusetts.

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Rápalo for achieving this career milestone. At UCNJ, we pride ourselves on our ability to develop future leaders. We congratulate him on being selected as the next president of Rockland Community College, and we know he will do great things there,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

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. 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.