State Legislature Honors NJCU President Andrés Acebo

The New Jersey Senate and General Assembly issued a joint legislative resolution honoring Andrés Acebo, J.D., for his installation as the thirteenth president of New Jersey City University (NJCU) and for his leadership during a critical period in the institution’s ninety-eight-year history.

Acebo was formally installed during an investiture ceremony on September 10, 2024. Legislators praised his previous role as interim president, citing “unprecedented milestones and the institution’s remarkable financial and academic recovery.” The resolution highlighted his proposal to merge NJCU with Kean University, describing it as “a historic merger… thus creating a vibrant and competitive Kean Jersey City in Hudson County.”

The resolution described Acebo as “the youngest known President to lead a public university in the State” and credited him for “upholding the University’s mission to provide accessible higher education to the Jersey City community.” Lawmakers acknowledged his ability to “forge strategic partnerships with colleges, organizations, union leaders, stakeholders, and legislators to keep the institution afloat.”

A graduate of Brown University and Rutgers School of Law, Acebo joined NJCU in 2021 as chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees. The resolution recognized him as a “New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Star” and cited his leadership roles with the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education.

Within all spheres, legislators stated, “Andrés Acebo has established a model to emulate and set a standard toward which all others might strive.”