Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., the eighth president of New Jersey’s largest community college, began his tenure on Jan. 1, 2021.
Dr. Friedman came to Bergen after working for 13 years at Hudson County Community College – an institution less than 20 miles away from the College’s main campus in Paramus. At Hudson, he worked as the executive vice president and provost/chief operating officer. There, his expansive portfolio of responsibilities included leading the college’s reaffirmation of its accreditation, launching an array of new programs in high-demand fields, and overseeing the expansion of a center for online learning as a key area for fiscal sustainability. Dr. Friedman also created additional enrollment opportunities by leading the development of off-site locations, expanding early college dual-enrollment programs, and managing the development of Hudson’s first fully-accredited school of nursing.
For his support of student success, Dr. Friedman earned the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges 2013 Spirit Award and the 2015 Distinguished College Administrator Award from Phi Theta Kappa.
Previously, he taught at a number of public and private colleges, including Drew University, Passaic County Community College, New School University and The Art Institute of New York City. Friedman earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from the New School for Social Research, an M.A. in humanities and social thought from New York University, and a B.A. in English from the University of Denver.
