Category Archives: Education

Hudson County Community College Earns Insight Into Academia 2025 ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ Award

The Hudson County Community College Cybersecurity Mentoring Program, designed to increase the number of women working in the growing cybersecurity field, earned the 2025 “Inspiring Program in STEM” Award from Insight Into Academia Magazine. Pictured here, an HCCC student and mentor in one of the College’s STEM labs.

The College’s Cybersecurity Mentoring Programs are designed to
close the gender gap, foster innovation, and build an equitable workforce.

“Penelope Garcia” was a hacker-turned-FBI cybersecurity pro in the television drama Criminal Minds. But today, women make up only 20% of the United States cybersecurity workforce. To help reverse this trend, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) devised the Cybersecurity Mentoring Program to recruit and retain women in the HCCC Associate in Science in Cybersecurity degree program, where 19% of the 199 current students are female.

Hudson County Community College Class of 2025 Graduates Share Their Inspiring Academic Journeys

 Hudson County Community College is holding its 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Sports Illustrated Arena in Harrison, NJ. The College’s Class of 2025 is its largest ever, with 1,540 graduates.

The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Class of 2025 is the largest in the College’s history, with more than 1,540 students graduating. They include single parents, siblings, career changers, older adults, immigrants striving to achieve the American dream, lifelong learners, and others.  

The HCCC 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 10 a.m. in Sports Illustrated Arena, Harrison, NJ. The event will include greetings and introductions from HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber, HCCC Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Peña, and Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. Dr. Darryl Jones, Vice President for Academic Affairs, will host the Presentation of Graduates. Master of Ceremonies is Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Dr. Lisa Dougherty.

Hudson County Community College to Honor More Than 1,550 Graduates at 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony

  Hudson County Community College will graduate its largest class ever at their 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 21, 2025 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The Class of 2025 is the largest in the College’s History.

  Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will celebrate the academic achievements of more than 1,550 students at the College’s 48th Annual Commencement ceremonies. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Sports Illustrated Stadium, 600 Cape May Street in Harrison, NJ.  The College expects approximately 7,000 graduates, family members, faculty, staff, trustees, and guests to attend.

Hudson County Community College Online Programs Earn NJEdge ‘Accessibility in Digital Education’ Award

Hudson County Community College Center for Online Learning Executive Director Matthew LeBrake recently accepted the NJEdge “Accessibility in Digital Education” Award at EdgeCon, which was held at Seton Hall University.
–  Hudson County Community College (HCCC) students of all abilities and backgrounds attend classes and complete assignments online with ease, bringing them closer to achieving their academic goals.

In recognition of the College’s ongoing commitment to providing accessible, equitable, and inclusive online learning experiences, Matthew LaBrake, Executive Director of the HCCC Center for Online Learning, recently accepted the NJEdge “Accessibility in Digital Education” Award at EdgeCon held at Seton Hall University. At the event, HCCC Senior Instructional Designer Callie Martin co-presented “Building an Inclusive Future at HCCC” alongside Josh Gaul, NJEdge’s Chief Digital Learning Officer, after completing a multiphase project to improve the accessibility of all Hudson Online courses.

Hudson County Community College Topping Out Ceremony, Hoisting the Final Beam on The Center for Student Success



The new tower will house NCAA gym, fitness center, science labs, theater, classrooms, and administrative offices.

   Hudson County Community College (HCCC) held a “Topping Out” ceremony on Thursday, April 17th, 2025, at 2 Enos Place on the College’s Journal Square Campus in Jersey City, for the new Center for Student Success. Students, faculty, staff, honored guests, the project team, and others signed the beam and raised it into position.

The 11-story, 153,186 square-foot HCCC Center for Student Success resides one block from the Journal Square PATH. The tower will replace several of the College’s small, segregated, and aging buildings. The blueprint includes 24 classrooms; full-size National College Athletics Association (NCAA) gymnasium to facilitate the debut of the College’s Athletics Department; fitness center; black-box theater; health sciences laboratories; 85 offices; eight conference rooms; a “University Center” for sister colleges and partners to offer baccalaureate instruction; expanded student services areas; and more.

 Lights! Camera! Action! Hudson County Community College Offers New Jersey Film Academy Industry Credentials 

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) participated in the launch of the New Jersey Film Academy at Brookdale College. HCCC will begin offering the course, “Script to Screen: Introduction to the Entertainment Industry,” on April 7, 2025.

New initiative addresses entertainment industry demand in the Garden State.

New Jersey is considered the birthplace of the silent film era that featured the work of director D.W. Griffith and stars Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Lionel Barrymore, and the Marx Brothers along the Hudson River. In the serial “The Perils of Pauline,” damsel in distress Pearl White was seen clinging to the cliffs of the Fort Lee Palisades. Actors, studios, and production crews later relocated to Hollywood. A century later, the Garden State is reclaiming its status as a film and television production hub. Netflix and Lionsgate expansions into New Jersey, as well as Palisades Stages in Kearny, and Cinelease in Jersey City, signal the demand is growing for a skilled, homegrown workforce.

Hudson County Community College Receives Insightsinto Diversity 2025 Inspiring Programs in Business Award

Pictured here, members of the Hudson County Community College Class of 2024 School of Business graduates at their commencement ceremony at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.
Only 21 colleges in the United States earned this national recognition.

  From Main Street to Wall Street, small business and Fortune 500 companies that value educated and knowledgeable workforces attract and retain talent, develop innovative ideas and solutions, and boost profitability. Businesses and organizations employ people with broad perspectives and experiences to help strengthen their reach, build public trust, and improve branding.

Hudson County Community College to Welcome Malcolm X’s Daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz


Dr. Shabazz will be Guest Speaker at the College’s Annual
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial event.

Caption: Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, published author, public speaker, activist, and daughter of the late Malcom X will be the guest speaker at Hudson County Community College’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on January 28, 2025.

December 20, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – Malcolm X fought racial injustice by any means necessary, advocating armed resistance and separatism; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. espoused peaceful protests and community organizing to end segregation and fight discrimination. Although the Muslim revolutionary leader and the Baptist minister differed in their advocacy and philosophical approaches, their legacies are intertwined. Before they were both assassinated at age 39, they built the foundation for future generations of activists.

Hudson County Community College Foundation to Host “Midnight in Paris” 27th Annual Gala

The Hudson County Community College Foundation will hold their 27th Annual Gala fundraiser on Thursday evening, December 5, 2024. The 2024 Distinguished Community Service Awards will be presented to Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society at the event. Pictured here the College’s 2024 PTK inductees with HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber (center).

Fundraiser benefits HCCC students, honors PTK National Honor Society
and HCCC Chapter leader.

The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Foundation invites business leaders, friends, and residents to its 27th Annual Gala, an enchanting evening of French cuisine and culture and a celebration of distinguished guests.

The “Midnight in Paris” themed event occurs Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City, NJ. Guests will enjoy cabaret music, French-themed rooms, and Parisian food and drink prepared by talented HCCC chef-instructors and culinary students and presented by servers in berets and scarves. Highlights include French 75 cocktails; Moulin Rouge seafood bar; Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Le Chartier, Le Café, Rue de Rivoli, and Louvre Museum kitchens; an Eiffel Tower photo station; and an Andy Warhol “Perrier” screen print and collection of French artists’ works from the Foundation Art Collection.