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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.

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CRANFORD, NJ -UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ hosted its first Business Pitch Competition at the College’s Cranford Campus. More than twenty UCNJ students submitted a business proposal for the competition, with eleven accepted to enter the main competition and pitch to the five judges.

All UCNJ students were welcomed to participate in the Pitch Competition. To qualify, students were required to attend workshops across an eight-week period. Students who attended at least 75% of the workshops received a stipend and a laptop.

After students submitted proposals, a panel of faculty and academic specialists at UCNJ reviewed the submissions and decided who would move on in the Pitch Competition. Eleven students were selected and pitched to the panel of five judges who work in the business industry. The judges included: Denise Fernandes, Director of Women Economic Forum for New Jersey 2023 and a Member of White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics; Andrew Hurdle, Senior Product Portfolio Manager at Ansell Healthcare; Muhammad Khan, Principal Examiner with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; F. Jim Della Sala, Senior Vice President for Investors Bank and Union County College Foundation Board member; and Rory Wilson, Executive Relationship Manager at Discover. Judging criteria included the pitch’s economic potential, clear description and explanation of the business idea, the potential to attract investors, and more.   

Nicholas Mont came out on top, winning first-place and a $6000 prize to advance his business concept. Mont’s winning pitch addressed the issue of food waste. His proposal was to dehydrate unused food to feed those in need with highly nutritious food. The slogan for his concept was, “dehydrated food is healthy, delicious, and a sustainable solution to end world hunger.” UCNJ’s Bloomberg Business Club President Anais Santacruz earned a second-place finish and received $4000 for her idea of FleaCycle which was focused on recycled fashion. Tyler Farrar earned a third-place finish and received $2000 for his pitch to empower and financially educate youth worldwide with his concept of “money on the way.” Funding for this opportunity was provided by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund grant: Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge (OMIC), which cultivates innovation, research, and talent. 

“We are proud of these creative students who took the time to develop their business ideas. We are also grateful to receive an OMIC grant to further our student’s entrepreneurial dreams. Giving our students the opportunity to develop their businesses and receive feedback from real working professionals is something they can take with them as they continue to pursue their goals,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

The Pitch Competition was spearheaded by Dr. Donovan Smalls, UCNJ’s Director of the Business Center. The Business Center, which features Bloomberg Terminals, benefits students majoring in business, business management, business marketing, accounting, supply chain management, blockchain, esports, sport management, and hotel, restaurant, and tourism management. For more information on the Business Center and the Pitch Competition, go to https://www.ucc.edu/business-center/

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.

Cranford, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ held its commencement ceremony for the class of 2023 on May 17 at the College’s Cranford Campus. Two ceremonies, which were led by UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin, were held to honor the more than 700 graduates.

The ceremonies began with the singing of the National Anthem, featuring two UCNJ 2023 graduates. The singer for the first ceremony was Gina Sanon, of Elizabeth, and Kiara Torres, of UCNJ, sang for the following ceremony. UCNJ’s Board of Trustees Chair Victor M. Richel welcomed the graduates and their families on behalf of the College’s Boards. Each commencement featured a student speaker to address their fellow graduates and the ceremony’s attendees. Kamia Boykin, of Linden, spoke at the first ceremony. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and a student athlete. Boykin will attend Saint Peter’s University in the fall. The speaker at the second ceremony was Rachel De La Cruz, of Elizabeth. De La Cruz was an American Honors student, President of the American Honors Council, and spearheaded the creation of the Library Mailbox on the College’s Cranford Campus. De La Cruz confirmed that she will earn her bachelors degree from Amherst College.

Several students were recognized for both their academic and extracurricular achievements. The Post-Day Memorial Award is given to the students that best exemplify the College’s ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service. At the first ceremony, the Post-Day Memorial Award was presented to Savayra Rao, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA and Krystal Villalobos, who graduated with a 3.8 GPA. Both Rao and Villalobos are from Elizabeth and will continue their education at Rutgers University. At the second ceremony, the Post-Day Memorial Award was presented to Rachel De La Cruz, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA and Matthew Lescano, of UCNJ, who graduated with a 3.9 GPA. Lescano will transfer to Drew University this fall.

The Alumni Prize was presented to the graduating student with the highest GPA at each ceremony. The recipient at the first ceremony was Sara Vera, of Elizabeth. She graduated with her associate degree in architecture and a 4.0 GPA. Vera also earned the Outstanding Achievement in Architecture Award, presented at UCNJ’s Awards Night. She will continue her studies at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The recipient at the second ceremony was Zackery Wong, who graduated with an associate degree in graphic design with a 4.0 GPA. Wong also was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design Award and will transfer to Kean University.

“Our graduating class of 2023 is a diverse group of students of different ages and backgrounds. We are proud of their drive and determination to achieve their goal of earning a college degree,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “This group has seen their education through a pandemic, persevered, and received their college diploma. I am excited to see what they accomplish as they continue their journey.”

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. There more than 65 programs of study including Communications, eSports Management, Engineering, Health Information Technology. Students can participate in clubs, honor societies, and a full array of NJCAA athletics beyond Esports including basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling, and more. The College offers many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, eSports room, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ will be attending one of the top 25 community colleges in the country as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ is hosting a unique opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors – the chance to earn college credits for free! The Summer College Program begins July 5 and runs through August 15 with students eligible to earn up to 6 college credits. Besides learning in a college environment, students will attend various workshops and engagement events to enhance their learning potential and develop their leadership skills.

As they begin their time at UCNJ, students will take one STEM course and one English course. The goal of this year’s summer program is to accelerate academic momentum, work towards retention and completion goals, and participation in college readiness workshops and career exploration. Students will have access to tutoring in the Academic Learning Center as well as advisement sessions.

In order to qualify for this program, a student must be a rising junior or senior residing in UCNJ County. Further eligibility is determined by the United States Department of Agriculture 2022-23 Income Eligibility Guidelines.

In addition to academic courses, students will have the opportunity to grow through various workshops and engagement events. W.I.S.E. Owl Sessions will focus on activities to enhance the student’s ability to win, innovate, succeed, and excel. Personal Wellness sessions will teach students habits that can promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being to enhance their mindset. Club Kick-Back, led by UCNJ’s College Life team, will provide opportunities to network with other students, check-in about their experience for the week, and learn about student clubs on campus.

Space is limited for UCNJ’s Summer College Program. For more information, contact Tawn Walker, Coordinator of High School Initiatives at Dualenrollment@ucc.edu or by phone at 732-347-6467. 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. There more than 65 programs of study including Communications, eSports Management, Engineering, Health Information Technology. Students can participate in clubs, honor societies, and a full array of NJCAA athletics beyond Esports including basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling, and more. The College offers many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, eSports room, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ will be attending one of the top 25 community colleges in the country as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

CRANFORD, NJ – UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ will be hosting spring commencement on Wednesday, May 17, with ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is an exciting ceremony for the College and it’s graduates as it is the first to be held on the College’s Cranford Campus as UCNJ UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ. UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.  

Two ceremonies will be held for the graduating class of 2023. The first ceremony, beginning at 10:00 a.m., will celebrate graduates completing an Associate in Science degree. The 3:00 p.m. ceremony acknowledges students graduating with an Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Science degree, Certificates, and Certificates of Achievement.

Two awards will be presented at each ceremony: the Alumni Prize Award and the Post-Day Memorial Award. The Alumni Prize Award is presented to the graduating student with the highest grade-point average. The Post-Day Memorial Award is given to the students that best exemplify the College’s ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service.

Several members of the class of 2023 have reached high levels of achievement during their time at UCNJ. Two graduates, Carine Medellus and Juniad Ilyas, were selected as Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholars, and will receive up to $55,000 for to complete their bachelor’s degree. Medellus was also named to the 2023 All-USA Academic Team and as a 2023 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar and will receive a scholarship for both recognitions. Selection was based on the score earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. Medellus received the highest score in New Jersey. Ozichi Chinedu was selected as a 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar and will receive a scholarship. The Coca-Cola Silver Scholar program had more than 2,400 applications and selection was based on scores earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. Caroline Vivanco organized UCNJ’s Women’s Empowerment Club, beginning in Fall 2022. Under her leadership, the club became the first student-run organization to create a scholarship for the UCNJ County College Foundation.

“As we prepare for our spring commencement, we reflect on the work our graduates have done during a transformative time at UCNJ. A majority began their college career remotely, others returned to UCNJ after taking a break from their education, and we are equally proud of all our graduates,” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “Their leadership, achievements, and perseverance will carry them far in life, and we can’t wait to see where their journey takes them next.”

Both ceremonies will be livestreamed at www.ucc.edu for those unable to attend in person.

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.

Cranford, NJ – Junaid Ilyas and Carine Medellus, students at UCNJ UCNJ of UCNJ County, NJ, are two of 60 high-achieving community college students selected to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national scholarship aims for Cooke Scholars to complete their undergraduate educations with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide Ilyas and Medellus with as much as $55,000 a year to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Prior to this year, UCNJ has had four students receive this prestigious scholarship. This is the first time UCNJ has had two students selected to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship in the same year.

Junaid Ilyas, of Roselle Park, will graduate from UCNJ this spring with an engineering degree. Earlier this year, Ilyas was selected one of only 11 students selected nationwide as a Kaplan Leadership Scholar. Ilyas is a peer tutor in the Academic Learning Center (ALC) and is a member of the College’s American Honors program. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a career goal of being a vehicle engineer who innovates vehicle design.

Carine Medellus, of Roselle, has a 4.0 GPA and is majoring in biology. She is a member of American Honors, a tutor in the ALC, and serves as Leader of Scholarship for Phi Theta Kappa honor society and Vice President of the Research Club. This year, Medellus was named as one of only 20 college students nationwide to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Additionally, Medellus was named a 2023 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar based on her score in the All-USA Academic Team competition which was the highest in New Jersey, she will also receive a $2,250 scholarship.

“There are so many bright and persistent community college students in our nation who we know will thrive at four-year institutions if they can find a way to transfer without being weighed down by a heavy financial burden,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are excited to welcome yet another cohort of Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars to our community after learning about them through their applications and seeing their unbound potential.”

“We are proud of both Junaid and Carine. Being named Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholars will allow them to transfer to and graduate from universities of their choice—debt free! Our previous Cooke Scholars have transferred to Dartmouth, Michigan, and Columbia. UCNJ has the top Honors Program in New Jersey and our students benefit from small class sizes, expert but compassionate faculty, along with a price that can’t be beat. Our College is the destination of choice for discerning students, honors and otherwise, who want a great education, an engaging college experience, and an affordable price. I look forward to seeing what great things these scholars will do with their Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholarship opportunity,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

Along with financial support, new Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of more than 3,000 Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

This year, more than 1,700 students from 448 community colleges applied to receive the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation evaluated each submission based on students’ academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, and leadership.

A list of the 2023 Cooke Transfer Scholars, including their community colleges, can be found here.