New Jersey City University formally installed Andrés Acebo as their 13th president at an investiture ceremony inside the university’s Margaret Williams Theatre this week, about seven weeks after the board of trustees removed his interim tag.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This moment is not about me—it is about us. About the generations who have walked these steps before us,” Acebo said during his address at the roughly three-hour ceremony.
“Immigrants who carried hope across oceans, first-generation college students who carried dreams across generations, working parents who carried textbooks in one hand and childcare schedules in the other, veterans who carried the weight of service, dreamers who carried the promise of tomorrow learning to translate their ambition and purpose but spoke it proudly with an accent that reveals what they carry and who they carry it for. They made this campus the most beautiful thing a university can be — a mirror of its community.”
He also emphasized his commitment to the students and community that shaped him.
Since taking office during a financial emergency in January 2023, Acebo’s leadership has been praised internally by school officials for a number of reasons.
For example, Moody’s Ratings upgraded NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable” in February 2024, followed by Fitch Ratings doing the same in November 2024.
Then in May 2025, Moody’s upgraded NJCU’s outlook from stable to positive, the first time Moody’s has ever assigned a positive outlook to the university.
“In early January 2023, when we found ourselves at one of the most perilous moments in our university’s 98-year history, the Board of Trustees came to Andy and asked him to step into a role that would have intimidated most seasoned administrators,” NJCU Board of Trustees Chair Luke Visconti added via video remarks.
“Nobody could have anticipated the scope of his success. The Board’s unanimous decision to appoint Andy as our 13th president wasn’t just recognition of his achievements—it was acknowledgment that his vision has secured our campus for generations to come. Andy, you didn’t just save our university—you’ve positioned it to thrive.”
The formal ceremony featured a program with Eduardo Placer serving as Master of Ceremonies.
The invocation prayer was delivered by Rev. Idida Rodríguez, Managing Partner of 1868 Public Affairs, while Trinity Colvin, Class of 2028, performed the National Anthem.
Featured speaker Adam San Miguel, of the Class of 2018, offered personal testimony about Acebo.
“Andy Acebo brings his whole self into every space: his culture, his compassion, and his sharp sense of humor. Whether he’s meeting with students, navigating complex institutional challenges, or just catching up over coffee … Andy listens. He learns. And then, he acts with purpose and heart.”
The board of trustees appointed Acebo president at their July 23rd meeting, as HCV first reported.