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Raritan Valley Community College President Dr. Michael J. McDonough has been named one of four top Influencers in Higher Education (County College Presidents) by ROI-NJ, a new, go-to media company created to inform and connect businesses in New Jersey.

Dr. McDonough has served as president of RVCC since 2014. During that period, the College has been named the top community college in New Jersey by several organizations, including BestColleges.com, WalletHub.com, Schools.com, and Niche.com. Washington Monthly ranked RVCC eighth in the country in the category of “Best Colleges for Adult Learners (2 Year Colleges)” for 2018. And Zippia.com recently reported that RVCC students are the highest earning graduates of any New Jersey community college.

“The recognition from ROI-NJ is a fitting tribute to Dr. McDonough for all of the College’s successes during his tenure. Under his leadership, RVCC has made a number of advancements including building a state-of-the-art Workforce Training Center and a 23,500 square-foot expansion to the Christine Todd Whitman Science Center; becoming the first two-year institution of higher education in the country to reach carbon neutrality; expanding workforce programs and partnerships with areas businesses and high schools; and creating new programs to meet employment needs, including the only New Jersey community college Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant,” said Robert P. Wise, Chair of the RVCC Board of Trustees.

The College also was one of six colleges and universities in the country to be recognized recently by Campus Compact for outstanding work in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. RVCC is one of only two community colleges in the U.S.—and the only New Jersey college—to receive the first Eduardo J. Padrón Award for Institutional Transformation. The College is being honored for its longstanding commitment to providing all students with access to civic and community-based learning experiences through its nationally recognized Service Learning Program.

Dr. McDonough is also one of only 13 college presidents in the country—and the only president from a New Jersey college—to receive the Shirley B. Gordon Award from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. The awards, which are the organization’s most prestigious honor for community college presidents, are given to college presidents in recognition of their work supporting student success on campus.

Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a 1,000-seat Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2020

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #16