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To honor Raritan Valley Community College Trustee Emeritus Dr. Paul J. Hirsch for his inspiring service, RVCC has renamed the College’s Community Room as the “Dr. Paul J. Hirsch Board Room.” A ceremony to celebrate the occasion was held December 20 at the College’s Branchburg campus.

Dr. Hirsch, a resident of Bridgewater, served as a member of the RVCC Board of Trustees from 1986 to 2022, and as chair of the Board from 2013-2015 and from 2008-2011.

“The renaming of the Community Room as the ‘Dr. Paul J. Hirsch Board Room’ recognizes Trustee Emeritus Hirsch’s enduring legacy as one of RVCC’s most eloquent and accomplished champions. Paul has been a compassionate advocate for the College and our students. During his long and distinguished tenure with the Board of Trustees, his exemplary leadership and profound contributions to the College helped establish RVCC as one of the most accomplished and innovative community colleges in both the state and the nation,” said RVCC President Dr. Michael J. McDonough.

Dr. Hirsch is also the benefactor of The Morris and Dorothy Hirsch Research Library of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Racism at RVCC. In 2022, he was honored by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges with a Trustee Spotlight Award for his service and strong commitment to Raritan Valley Community College.

During Dr. Hirsch’s first tenure as chair of the RVCC Board of Trustees, the College assumed administration of all post-secondary programs previously offered by the Somerset County Technology Institute; became the first community college in the country to sign an environmental stewardship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and obtained a $4.6 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to work in partnership with local businesses to train workers in new career paths.

Under Dr. Hirsch’s more recent leadership of the Board, the College made a number of significant advancements, including opening the Ray Bateman Center for Student Life and Leadership, expanding the Christine Todd Whitman Science Center, and building a state-of-the-art Workforce Training Center.

Dr. Hirsch is a retired orthopaedic surgeon and a former clinical professor of orthopaedics at Seton Hall School of Graduate Medical Education. He is former vice chairman of the Board of Directors of MDAdvantage Insurance Company and former chairman of MDAdvantage Finance Company. Additionally, he is chairman of the EJI Excellence in Medicine Fund, a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Health Foundation, and served as the editor-in-chief of MDAdvisor Journal.

Dr. Hirsch previously served as treasurer, and then president, of the Medical Society of NJ; as president of the Academy of Medicine of NJ; as president of the NJ Orthopaedic Society; and as president of the NJ Association of Medical Specialty Societies. He was treasurer, and subsequently chairman of the Board of Trustees, of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (an international medical journal based in Boston), as well as editor-in-chief of New Jersey Medicine. He previously served on the Boards of Trustees of the American Orthopaedic Association and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (both headquartered in Chicago).

Ranked by WalletHub.com and Intelligent.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, 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 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 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

December 21, 2023

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

PR #50