October 13, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

Ramapo College of New Jersey leaders, supportive state lawmakers and ambitious students joined together to cut the ribbon and officially unveil the College’s new state-of-the-art Anatomy and Physiology lab.

The lab – located on the first floor of the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence on Ramapo’s picturesque Mahwah, NJ campus – will allow the College to increase the number of future nurses it trains to ultimately help fill the critical nursing shortage in New Jersey.

The cutting-edge space, including detailed model kits of the human body and high-tech microscopes that students will learn with, was made possible by $2.5 million in state funding.

“This lab will serve as a place of discovery, wonder, and rigorous learning for years to come – allowing the College to more than double the number of Anatomy and Physiology sections, substantially increasing our ability to prepare more students for careers in nursing and health sciences,” Ramapo College President Cindy Jebb, PhD said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Jebb took the opportunity to thank the New Jersey legislators whose support made the new lab possible, including those in attendance: State Senator Joseph Lagana (D-Paramus); Assemblywoman Ellen Park (D-Englewood); Assemblywoman Linda Swain (D-Paramus); and Assemblyman Chris Tully (D-Paramus). Jebb also thanked State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), State Sen. Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Ridgefield), Assemblywoman Shama Haider (D-Englewood), as well as legislators from Essex, Union and Middlesex Counties.

“I’m thrilled that I get to thank you personally for your support because it matters so much,” Jebb said. “Your support is enabling us to expand our mission to educate quality nurses, to address workforce shortages, to provide tangible social mobility for our students, and meaningful economic benefit to communities across the Garden State.”

Sen. Lagana, chair of New Jersey’s Senate Commerce Committee, told the crowd gathered in the lab, that “Ramapo has always been a great educational partner for our state.”

The new lab builds on the state’s previous investments in the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence, which “helped expand the Ramapo nursing program into one of the top nursing schools in the nation,” Lagana said.

In 2024, with state support, Ramapo launched its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program to help fill New Jersey’s nursing shortage. The program enables qualified candidates to complete degree requirements in as little as 16 months. For candidates who might not have the necessary prerequisites, a bridge program offers required coursework. To date, more than 100 students have graduated from the program.

Ramapo College Provost Michael Middleton, PhD said the state’s investment in the new lab will allow Ramapo to give even more students the high-quality educational experience they deserve.

“The new space represents something much bigger than a new lab. It represents opportunity for our students, for our programs, for the community, and the healthcare systems that depend on well-prepared individuals,” Middleton said.

In addition to the ABSN program, Ramapo offers a highly-regarded four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP).

A top nursing school, Ramapo consistently demonstrates “superior nursing education and quality,” and “stands out with its exceptional NCLEX pass rates,” according to Registerednursing.org. An impressive 223 students who graduated from Ramapo and sat for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam in 2023 and 2024 yielded a 100% pass rate.

To learn more about nursing at Ramapo, visit ramapo.edu/nursing.