Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin
President, UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ
Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin is the current President of UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ, the first of New Jersey’s 18 community colleges, founded in 1933. She is the College’s first female president.
Since her appointment as President in July 2010, Dr. McMenamin set forth an aggressive agenda centering on improving student success outcomes. She revitalized student services, strengthened academic advising, partnered with faculty to improve teaching and learning, and engaged the entire campus community in renewing their collective commitment to student success. During her tenure at UCNJ, the College has more than quintupled its graduation rate.
In October 2020, Dr. McMenamin was named the National Marie Y. Martin CEO of the Year by the Association of Community College Trustees. In 2022, the Aspen Institute for College Excellence named UCNJ as one of the Top 25 community colleges in America and a Semifinalist for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Most recently, the College was named as one of the Top 20 community colleges in the country for 2025 by the Aspen Institute.
In 2019, Dr. McMenamin served as Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She also previously served as Chair of the American Association of Community Colleges’ Presidents’ Academy Executive Committee. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Higher Education Research and Development Institute, a member of the executive committee of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, the National Junior College Athletic Association Presidents’ Advisory Council, and the board of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
Dr. McMenamin is involved with numerous community organizations, including the Boards of Trinitas Hospital, Union County Performing Arts Center, Union County Crime Stoppers, Elizabeth Development Company, Union County Workforce Development, Montgomery Academy, the New Jersey Israel Commission, and the NJ-PBS Community Advisory Board. In 2015, she was honored to serve as the Grand Marshal of the Union County Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
Prior to arriving at UCNJ, Dr. McMenamin was employed as a professor and VP of Academic and Student Affairs at Lehigh Carbon Community College and Executive Vice President and Acting President at Brookdale Community College. Dr. McMenamin attended Temple University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. She earned a Master of Science from the University of Scranton and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University.
