Hudson County Community College has appointed Danielle Lopez as the college’s first director of diversity, equity & inclusion for accessibility services, according to a Friday announcement from the Jersey City-based educational institution.
“The entire HCCC family is delighted to welcome Danielle Lopez to the college,” HCCC President Christopher Reber said. “She will lead and support our accessibility and accommodation programs for students and employees. In addition to serving as our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/Section 504 coordinator, Danielle will be our primary compliance and content expert for all accessibility matters. She will play a key role in advancing our culture of care and our overarching priorities of student success and diversity, equity & inclusion.”
Lopez will manage and supervise the HCCC Office of Accessibility Services. A key component of her work is to reduce systemic barriers and promote disability awareness and a culture of accessibility.
In her new position, Lopez will collaborate with multiple campus constituents, including faculty; the Offices of Academic Affairs; Student Affairs and Enrollment; and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Human Resources; Counseling and Wellness; Registrar; Public Safety and Security; Facilities; Communications; Information Technology; Legal Counsel; and others.
Lopez is highly experienced in accessibility and disability services, advisement and administration. For the past 10 years, she served as assistant director and academic counselor at City University of New York Center for Student Accessibility. There, she developed and implemented best practices to help students with disabilities and diverse needs achieve academic success. In addition, Lopez served as an adjunct lecturer at CUNY, teaching psychology courses. As a Project REACH mentor, she assisted individuals with autism, coordinated curricula and service plans, and facilitated meetings related to academic, social and professional development. Lopez also mentored students with disabilities to support their campus initiatives at the College of Staten Island.
Lopez received her Master of Science in disability services in higher education from the School of Professional Studies at CUNY, and her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the College of Staten Island, CUNY. Her professional affiliations include the Association on Higher Education and Disability, New York State Disability Services Council and CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities. She holds certification in Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Behavioral Health.
“I am very happy to be a part of Hudson County Community College, where diversity, equity & inclusion is valued and lived,” Lopez stated. “I look forward to working with our students and my new colleagues to further advance opportunities and accessibility for everyone at HCCC.”
