Presidents Biography

Augustine A. Boakye, Ph.D., is the 9th president of Essex County College, assuming the leadership position on July 21, 2020 as interim president until his full appointment by the Board of Trustees on November 1, 2021. Dr. Boakye has served Essex County College as Acting Dean of Liberal Arts and Business, Chairperson of the Business Division, and an Associate Professor of Economics and Finance. Dr. Boakye’s presidency has been characterized by great gains. Among other transformational achievements, Dr. Boakye has incorporated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in all strategic decisions with a focus on social justice and a clear mission to increase educational access that leads to success.

Dr. Boakye has an extensive record of accomplishments and more than nine years of experience in higher education administration. He is the former Regional Chair of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and continues to represent Region 1 at the ACBSP national level. He has also provided educational consultancy services and worked in many higher educational institutions including New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Strayer University, Rider University and Brookdale Community College.

Dr. Boakye has served as an international educator for more than two decades teaching in his homeland of Ghana as well as England, Scotland and the United States. He enjoys working with people of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds and seeks to promote lifelong learning. In 2020, he received the International Teaching Excellence Award from ACBSP at the Associate Degree level. 

Under his leadership as Chair of the Business Division, Essex County College received ACBSP accreditation. He championed the creation of new in-demand academic programs including the A.S. in Finance, the A.S. in Supply Chain Management (SCM), Certificate in SCM/Logistics and Business Professional Certificate. He successfully created the popular Business Week and the Business Plan Competition for students. Dr. Boakye has been a champion of the Business Division’s annual Financial Literacy program. In addition, he has served as an advisor of the Student Government Association (SGA) since the fall of 2011.

Since assuming the Presidency in 2020, Dr. Boakye has increased employee morale and strategized with community organizations as well as elected officials to enrich the educational experiences of our students. He has also placed top priority on financial stability and modernizing the physical infrastructure of the College with strategic investments on the main campus in Newark and the reconstruction of the West Essex campus in West Caldwell, NJ.  He has channeled resources toward recruitment, retention and graduation as well as revamped the Alumni Association.

Partnering with local leaders to serve the needs of the community, Dr. Boakye collaborated with the County Executive in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in which Essex County College served as the host of the county’s Covid-19 testing and vaccination center. This joint effort to mitigate the spread of the virus attracted the attention of NJ Governor Phil Murphy and Vice President Kamala Harris, resulting in their visit to the College.

Dr. Boakye holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom; a master’s degree in Education from Brunel University, London, UK; master’s level education from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and a Bachelor of Science from University of Cape Coast in Ghana.