Listen to this articleThe basics:
- NJCU holds historic investiture ceremony for Andrés Acebo
- Acebo is youngest known president of a NJ public university
- Leader guided NJCU through a budget crisis and toward a merger with Kean
- Ceremony featured campus leaders, alumni & higher education officials
At a historic investiture ceremony Sep. 10, New Jersey City University formally installed Andrés Acebo as its 13th president.
The ceremony took place in the university’s Margaret Williams Theatre, following NJCU’s 44th Annual Academic Convocation. It drew hundreds of guests from across the state, including representatives from higher education, government and more.
As NJBIZ reported in July, the NJCU board of trustees unanimously appointed Acebo, removing the interim tag he had held since taking the helm in January 2023.
“This moment is not about me – it is about us,” said Acebo. “About the generations who have walked these steps before us: immigrants who carried hope across oceans, first-generation college students who carried dreams across generations, working parents who have carried textbooks in one hand and child care schedules in the other, veterans who carried the weight of service, dreamers who carried the promise of tomorrow learning to translate their ambition and purpose but spoke it proudly with an accent that reveals what they carry who they carry it for.
“They made this campus the most beautiful thing a university can be – a mirror of its community.”
Leading the way
Acebo has navigated the institution through choppy waters. As NJBIZ has also reported, he took on the role amidst a budget crisis that engulfed NJCU as well as led to the appointment of a state monitor. Since and during these past two-and-a-half years, NJCU has notched a number of milestones.
Highlights include key partnerships, credit rating upgrades, transformative academic and enrollment initiatives, along with a No. 1 (in N.J.) ranking for social mobility.
Most notably, in May, Acebo signed a letter of intent to advance a historic merger that will integrate NJCU into Kean University. The move will bring together the two mission-aligned institutions, resulting in Kean Jersey City.
Inside the ceremony
- Eduardo Placer served as Master of Ceremonies
- The Rev. Idida Rodriguez, managing partner of 1868 Public Affairs, delivered the invocation prayer
- Trinity Coleman ’08 performed the National Anthem
- Michael Prilutsky, appointed as the newest member of the NJCU board of trustees in June, and board member Natalie Brathwaite performed the ceremonial robing
- After the bestowing of the Presidential Medallion, Acebo’s wife, Janice Acebo ’08 and ’19, introduced the leader. She noted his deep connection to the university’s mission and community
- A number of prominent higher education leaders provided also provided video remarks
Simply put, Acebo – the youngest known president to lead a New Jersey public university and only the third Hispanic to lead a four-year public institution in the state – has navigated NJCU through the most critical period in its 98-year history.
His address focused on his philosophy of leadership as service, his commitment to the community that shaped him, as well as higher education’s special responsibility to our democracy during this pivotal moment in history.
“And now, through a twist of history and the work of many hands, I have the honor of leading a university rooted in the very community that shaped me,” said Acebo. “That, to me, is the full circle of public purpose. That is what it means to return – not just to lead, but to serve.
“And let me tell you, I do not serve theoretical students. I serve students with names, with stories, with burdens, with dreams.”
Positioned to thrive
“In early January 2023, when we found ourselves at one of the most perilous moments in our university’s 98-year history, the Board of Trustees came to Andy and asked him to step into a role that would have intimidated most seasoned administrators,” said Luke Visconti, chair of the NJCU board of trustees.
Visconti emphasized that nobody could have anticipated the scope of Acebo’s success.
“The Board’s unanimous decision to appoint Andy as our 13th president wasn’t just recognition of his achievements – it was acknowledgement that his vision has secured our campus for generations to come. Andy, you didn’t just save our university – you’ve positioned it to thrive.”
Under his leadership, NJCU has already grown stronger and achieved remarkable progress in such a short span. These are not just accomplishments on paper – they are tangible steps forward in strengthening the future of this institution and the lives of our students.
— John Donnellan, president, NJCU University Senate
“Under his leadership, NJCU has already grown stronger and achieved remarkable progress in such a short span,” said John Donnellan, president of the NJCU University Senate. “These are not just accomplishments on paper – they are tangible steps forward in strengthening the future of this institution and the lives of our students.”
Featured speaker Adam San Miguel ’18 shared his personal testimony about Acebo’s leadership style. He noted that Acebo brings his whole self into every space — including his culture, his compassion and also his sharp sense of humor.
“Whether he’s meeting with students, navigating complex institutional challenges, or just catching up over coffee … Andy listens,” said San Miguel. “He learns. And then, he acts with purpose and heart.”
