Hudson Oral History Project lauded for tracing the evolution of Journal Square.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is the recipient of Insight Into Academia’s 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award for the Hudson Oral History Project (HOHP). Pictured here: HOHP Co-Directors Antonio Acevedo, Associate Professor of History (rear right), and Dr. Sean Egan, Assistant Professor of English(rear center) and program student intern Victoria Lenga (front left), with Jaya Jones (rear left) and Rose Marie Shields (front right), HCCC students who were awarded Microhistories Fellowships.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been honored with Insight Into Academia Magazine’s Civic Engagement and Community Service Award for the College’s Hudson Oral History Project (HOHP). The award celebrates colleges and universities that demonstrate sustained commitment to serving their communities and advancing the public good.

“We are honored to receive this award that reflects the College’s role in the history of Journal Square, and how residents and businesses witnessed and adapted to changes,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “The Hudson Oral History Project involves intensive research, interviews, and collaboration. Special thanks to Assistant Professor Dr. Sean Egan and Associate Professor Antonio Acevedo, who established and oversee this enriching grant-supported project.” 

The College’s HOHP captures the evolution of Journal Square, documenting stories from a broad range of people whose lives were shaped in significant ways by the area. One of the most diverse regions in the United States, Jersey City’s Journal Square has seen dramatic economic, residential, and commercial changes in the lives of the project’s interviewees. The HOHP highlights the joys, heartbreaks, triumphs, and tragedies of those changes – underscoring the neighborhood’s distinctive character and the forces that shaped American urban life. Dr. Reber said the project is especially meaningful as the College began in Journal Square with a single, rented building, and its physical growth – which now includes more than a dozen buildings – has served as the catalyst for the area’s revitalization.

The HCCC project includes faculty, student fellows, and community members from all walks of life. The project has provided valuable opportunities for HCCC students to work in the Humanities. Three project interns received training in oral history interviewing and transcript editing. They participated in events including Neighborhood Stories, HCCC 50^th Anniversary Kickoff, and Oral History Workshop. Separately, HOHP developed the Microhistories Fellowships, which provide Student Fellows with a stipend, program support, and technical resources to carry out their own oral history projects. The first group of Fellows is focusing on backstories and challenges of Black business owners and spotlights emerging young, Black entrepreneurs; showcasing how literature builds community among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; and producing documentary podcasts featuring interviews with underprivileged citizens and addicts to compassionately depict the dangers in their daily lives.

“Higher education has always been a driving force in societal progress,” said Holly Mendelson, owner and publisher of Insight Into Academia. “These institutions remind us that the true measure of higher education lies not only in the degrees awarded, but in the lives they uplift. Their leadership strengthens communities, inspires students, and sets a standard of excellence for all.”

Hudson County Community College’s Hudson Oral History Project will be featured in the April 2026 issue of Insight Into AcademiaMagazine.