Hudson County Community College Announces Tenure for Three Faculty Members
April 15, 2020
April 15, 2020, Jersey City, NJ – The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Board of Trustees has granted tenure status to three faculty members in recognition of their excellence in teaching, scholarly achievement, service to the College and community, and fulfillment of their professional responsibilities.
“We are proud to announce that Dr. Sirhan Abdullah, Lauren Drew, and Courtney Payne are being promoted for tenure at the rank of Assistant Professor in the 2020-2021 Academic Year,” said HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber. “They represent the extraordinary talents and experience of the Hudson County Community College faculty.”
Pictured from left: Lauren Drew, Courtney Payne and Dr. Sirhan Abdullah.
Dr. Sirhan Abdullah began working at HCCC as an Instructor and the Coordinator of Health Sciences in 2011. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Avalon University (formerly Xavier Medical College), and a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology from Ramapo College. Certified by the National Association of Healthcare Access Management, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Dr. Abdullah is also Health Care Safety certified, and is a National Safety Compliance Instructor for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and HIPAA. Prior to coming to HCCC Dr. Abdullah taught at Bergen Community College and William Paterson University. He has been instrumental in developing many of the College’s online courses, and served on the HCCC Assessment, Development and Planning, and Online Advisory committees.
Lauren Drew has been teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at HCCC since 2014. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Applied Linguistics from Teachers College at Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in German Language and Area Studies from American University. Professor Drew holds certificates in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Cambridge University, and German Translation from American University. She also taught ESL at Pace and Columbia Universities and other institutions in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, New York, and New Jersey. She is presently Chair of the HCCC All College Council, and served as Chair and Secretary of the College’s Technology Committee.
Courtney Payne has been teaching at HCCC since 2013, first as Food and Wine Coordinator for Continuing Education, and then as Baking and Pastry Instructor in the College’s award-winning Culinary Arts Institute. Having earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from The College of New Jersey, she went on to attain her Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Baking and Pastry Arts from The Culinary Arts Institute of America, and to found her own successful business, Confections by Courtney. Chef Payne is co-advisor of the HCCC Culinary Club, and pastry chef for the HCCC Foundation Subscription Dining Series. She has served as team leader for various pastry arts competitions specializing in chocolates and confections, artisan breads, and specialty cakes. She is presently a member of the HCCC Bachelor of Arts-Culinary Arts, and All College Council College Life committees.