Hudson County Community College Executives Earn HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Fellowships

The Leadership Academy helps rising stars and high-level executives enhance their skills and improve their institutions. Faculty include current and former presidents, chancellors, and senior administrators who bring over 100 years of combined experience in various sectors of higher education, including private/public universities, community colleges, and faith-based institutions. Mentorship with a university president or senior-level administrator is a key component of the one-year program. Participants develop a project designed to impact the Fellow’s current institution.

Dr. Joseph Caniglia is the Executive Director of the HCCC North Hudson Campus (NHC) in Union City, NJ, serving nearly 3,000 students, more than 70% of whom are Hispanic. He began his career at the College as an adjunct professor, progressing to tenured faculty member, and Interim Associate Dean of English and English as a Second Language.  Since assuming his leadership role at NHC in 2021, Dr. Caniglia has helped expand programs, launched an Annual Student Leadership Conference attracting hundreds of students from local high schools, supported the HCCC Latino Advisory Council, and presented on Learning Communities and Student Success at national conferences. He consistently motivates colleagues, advocates for students, and implements changes that enhance students’ experiences.

Jennifer Valcarcel is the HCCC Associate Dean of Career and Transfer Pathways, an office she helped build from the ground up. She is responsible for leading and overseeing Career and Technical Education initiatives; fostering student success; collaborating with faculty, employers, and transfer institutions; developing and strengthening articulation agreements; and creating career opportunities. Her previous roles as Director of Transfer Pathways, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Counselor, and EOF Student Services Specialist prepared her for executive leadership. Ms. Valcarcel’s participation in the 2022-23 Aspen Institute/American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Transfer Intensive Project resulted in the creation of the nationally recognized HCCC/NJCU CONNECT program and expansion. She oversaw the launch and maintenance of career readiness tools such as Handshake to provide student access to job and internship opportunities, and has led the development of a future University Center for upper-level coursework that will debut upon the opening of the College’s new Center for Student Success in fall 2026.

“I am confident Dr. Caniglia and Ms. Valcarcel will bring valued perspectives to the cohort and use the HACU fellowship to benefit the College and our students,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “We are very proud of them.”

Since its inception, the HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Program has advanced the careers of diverse leaders within a wide range of higher education institutions, demonstrating its value in expanding opportunities at the highest levels of college and university leadership. Fellows participate in development activities to prepare for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Emerging HSIs. The fellowship includes webinars and three seminars, with the first seminar to be held this November in conjunction with HACU’s 39th Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado. The second seminar will be held in April 2026 at HACU’s National Capitol Forum in Washington, D.C. The third seminar will take place at a still to be determined international location.