Hudson County Community College Senior Vice President and Professor to Receive Awards from New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Lisa Dougherty, Ed.D. will be presented with the NJCCC Dr. Lawrence A. Nespoli Leadership Award for her “leadership efforts that have significantly contributed to New Jersey’s community colleges.” Dr. Dougherty is being recognized for her dedication to students’ academic achievement, which includes the creation of innovative programs for improving retention and persistence that have been replicated throughout the United States. She helped develop and implement the Hudson Helps Resource Center, a compendium of wraparound services that meet students’ holistic needs; Hudson Scholars, the College’s nationally acclaimed Bellwether and League for Innovation award-winning student success program; and Generation Hope’s Family U initiative to support student parents. Dr. Dougherty oversaw the establishment of the HCCC Mental Health Counseling and Wellness Center which offers confidential services in a safe, stigma-free environment. Comprised of faculty, staff, and social work interns from five partnering universities, the Hudson CARE(S) Team coordinates referrals and collaborates to ensure students’ needs are comprehensively addressed through a holistic, triaged approach.

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Dougherty understands the complex needs of non-traditional students. She received the 2026 Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society Distinguished College Administrator Award and was a 2019-2020 Aspen Institute College Excellence Program for Rising Presidents Fellow.

Professor Acevedo will receive the NJCCC Distinguished Faculty Award for his “profound influence on students academically and professionally inside and outside the classroom.” Professor Acevedo brings history to life and challenges students to be critical, independent thinkers, and collaborates with colleagues to provide greater resources and opportunities for students.

As co-founder of the Hudson Oral History Project, Professor Acevedo guides student interns in interviewing residents, community leaders, and business owners to document the history and rapid changes of Jersey City’s Journal Square area. The project earned the Insight Into Academia 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award. Professor Acevedo also helped establish the HCCC Department of Cultural Affairs, which provides arts and enrichment programming, free of charge, for students and the people of Hudson County.

A first-generation college student, Professor Acevedo is currently completing his Ph.D. in World History at St. John’s University. He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar in Switzerland and Italy; a MetroCITI Fellow at Columbia University Teachers College; and a contributing author for Teaching and Learning History Online: A Guide for College Instructors (Routledge, 2023). He is currently a W.W. Norton AI-Aware Faculty Fellow. Professor Acevedo and his work have been recognized by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), National Society for Innovation in the Community College, and New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Professor Acevedo received the 2020 American Association of Community Colleges Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award.

“The entire HCCC community is proud of Lisa and Antonio for working diligently to provide our students with the resources they need to succeed, and for challenging students to persist and achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “These honors are well deserved!”