Hudson County Community College (HCCC) instituted the HCCC Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC) to ensure students, faculty, and staff learn to engage AI ethically and effectively, and to empower the entire community. Pictured here, HCCC faculty at a recent event.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we learn, work and live. Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is addressing the advantages and challenges posed by this rapidly evolving and transformative technology through the formation of the HCCC Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Governance Council (AISGC).

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Event Name: Yarn Group & Knitting Class
Location: Bayonne Public Library, 697 Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002
Time: 6:00 PM
Details: A community crafting event held at the public library tailored for knitters and crafters of all skill levels to socialize, learn new techniques, and share projects.

Event Name: Movies in the Park: Wicked for Good
Location: Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs / Local Park Venue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Time: 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Details: An outdoor summer community movie screening event presented by the city’s cultural department for all ages.

The post List of Events for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 16,17,18 for Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken and Secaucus first appeared on River View Observer.

“Two Figures” by David Acker, 1980, Oil pastel, 25.75” x 39.5”.

The Hudson County Community College Foundation Art Collection has long celebrated and showcased the work of artists from traditionally underrepresented communities, including the LGBTQ community. Today, it also plays a pivotal role in bringing renewed visibility to the memory of talented artists whose work and stories might have otherwise faded from view over the decades. In doing so, the Collection becomes more than a repository of artwork; it serves as a living archive of memory, resilience, and rediscovery.

One such story that deserves to be remembered and reexamined is that of David Acker.

Born in Lima, Peru in 1954 to American parents, Acker came to the United States with his family in 1957. His early life was marked by personal hardship, including the loss of his mother at a young age. He was shy and struggled while growing up and going to school in New Canaan, Connecticut, but he was driven by his creative spirit and carved out his own path. At Earlham College in Indiana, he pursued a double major in Biology and Art. He worked as an intern and apprentice to the artist Nell Blaine, assisting her on several trips to Europe.

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Hudson County Community College (HCCC) recently became a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 15 Division III. HCCC Athletic Director Jonathan Sisk (right) was welcomed by NJCAA Vice President of Championship, Membership, and Sports Governance Dr. Brett Monaghan. HCCC will hold men’s and women’s basketball games beginning this Fall.

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  Hudson County Community College announced that Marlon Peña Crespo has been named the Class of 2026 Valedictorian. Commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) announced that Marlon Peña Crespo has been chosen as the Class of 2026 Valedictorian. He will address his peers, family, friends, faculty, and others at HCCC’s 49^th Annual Commencement Ceremonies on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ.

Marlon is completing his Associate in Science degree in Computer Science, earning a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average. A member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, Marlon is a semifinalist for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. He navigated a new educational system after arriving in the United States from Cuba, transforming that challenge into academic excellence and a commitment to using technology for social impact. Marlon is focused on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve real-world challenges, particularly improving access to resources for underserved communities. He specializes in rapid prototyping and translating human-centered needs into robust, scalable solutions.

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“Untitled” (Bus, Crowds of People, and Buildings) by J. Clarke, 1982, Oil on Canvas, 19” x 28”

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) received a landmark gift to its Foundation Art Collection from collectors Benjamin Ortiz and Victor P. Torchia, Jr., who donated more than 200 works of art in honor of the College’s 50th anniversary. Much of the donated artwork focuses on work by women artists and artists from Latin America and the Caribbean. This major donation significantly expands the breadth and depth of the College’s already extensive permanent collection, bringing new paintings, prints, sculptures, antiquities, and a bevy of antique photographs to the College’s campuses, where students will encounter and enjoy the art as part of their daily lives at HCCC.

According to Mr. Ortiz and Mr. Torchia, “Our collection consists of works on paper across all media. We regard ourselves not as owners of these artworks, but as their stewards. For over four decades, we have approached the acquisition of art with a deep sense of responsibility and a commitment to preservation. It is our privilege, as collectors, to make these works accessible, ensuring they serve as enduring resources for education and scholarly inquiry by students, faculty, researchers, and the broader public. We are honored to have formalized this commitment through their inclusion in the 50th Anniversary gifts to the Hudson County Community College Foundation Art Collection.”

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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.

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