William Paterson University will recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a virtual dialogue to which all campus community members are invited to attend on Friday, January 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature a keynote presentation by Christopher Miller, the senior director of education and community engagement at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
“This month’s programs, led by the Black History Month Planning Committee, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and the Black Cultural Center, reaffirms the University’s commitment to equity and inclusion,” says David Jones, chief diversity officer and director of talent management at William Paterson University. 
The spirit of giving has been especially vibrant in and around the William Paterson University community this past year. A recent example of that generosity comes from Valley Bank, with national headquarters in Wayne, which has pledged $1 million to William Paterson University for endowed scholarships.
Freshman Nick Montesano ’24 has taken classic chess pieces, such as the queen, bishop, and rook, and recreated them to incorporate the quarantine essentials of the pandemic. His idea stemmed from the final project of a 3D Design class with WP professor Henry Yoo. 
WP became the first institution in New Jersey to establish a chapter of Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, the national honor society that recognizes the accomplishments of first-generation college students and 16 students were recently inducted into the chapter during a virtual ceremony.
"When students see that I am advocating on their behalf, it increases the probability that they’ll come back to me," says Tia Cherry, assistant director of academic initiatives and student engagement in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
"It also lets them know that at William Paterson we care. We really do want to see you succeed."
Despite a shortened semester and limits on how many students were allowed in the lab at the same time, seniors Michelle Correa and Morganne Vogel and classmates overcame obstacles and presented their capstone research projects,
William Paterson University students Ryley McKiernan and Sean Mauro were among six students to win national recognition in a student podcast competition emphasizing the importance of media history.