Andrés Acebo is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City, N.J., and has maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the second Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the State of New Jersey. He is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in the State of New Jersey.

Acebo has been recognized as a Rising Star by New Jersey Super Lawyers, a Top Latino Lawyer by Latino Leaders Magazine, a Top Lawyer under 40 by the Hispanic National Bar Association, and as a Diverse Attorney of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal. In Fall 2022, he was recognized as a 2022 “Latinos 40 Under 40” award recipient by Negocios Now, in recognition of leadership by young Latinos in the New York metropolitan area. Acebo was also honored by the Boys Scouts of America-North Jersey Council with the 2022 Good Scout Award, in reflection of his service to his community.

Widely praised for his leadership in his first 18 months leading NJCU, he has been recognized by ROI-NJ as one of the 60 most influential people in the State of New Jersey and one of the top 25 chief executive and leaders across public and private higher education. In December 2023, InsiderNJ.com recognized his influence with selection to the 2023 InsiderNJ.com 100 Millennials Power 100 List. Acebo has been twice named to the ROI-NJ Influencers Power List for Higher Education in 2023 and 2024, and in Summer 2023 was selected to the ROI People of Color Influencers List.

He currently serves as a Deputy Regional President of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and Chair of the Special Committee on Cuba. He serves on the board of the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education (CAALE) — an award-winning non-profit that serves first-generation students in the community.  Acebo also serves on the board of the North Hudson Community Action Foundation, which helps underserved members of Hudson County with equitable access to healthcare and social services.

Acebo completed his undergraduate study at Brown University, where he was a senior editor of the Brown Journal of World Affairs and a volunteer at the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service. He received his law degree from Rutgers School of Law. While in law school, he served as president of the Association of Latin-American Law Students, vice president of communication of the HNBA Law Student Division, and managing symposium editor of the Rutgers Race and the Law Review.  Acebo also served as a constitutional law research assistant and a pro bono mediator with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

After law school, Acebo clerked for the Honorable Jonathan N. Harris, J.A.D. (retired) in the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey.  In private practice, Acebo was a partner at a firm where he represented governmental entities, higher education institutions and public-school districts, and public and closely held corporations and businesses.

Acebo has published several articles concerning the cross-section of race, law, politics, and public policy with the Columbia Journal of Race and Law, The Brown University Policy Review, the Seton Hall Legislative Journal, and the Rutgers Race and the Law Review.

He’s the proud father to three young children and husband to an extraordinarily dedicated educator who proudly celebrate and champion their community and their roots together.