Ursula Parrish Daniels

Dr. Ursula Parrish Daniels, Professor Emerita, Bergen Community College Activism, volunteerism, and professionalism are the underlying principles of Dr. Ursula Parrish Daniels. She has been an unrelenting advocate for the empowerment of women and the rights of children throughout her professional career. Her deep concern regarding the disparities that exist for students of color was highlighted in remarks made by the late Dr. B. Kaye Walter, former president of Bergen Community College, and for whom Dr. Daniels served as Executive Assistant, “Dr. Daniels works diligently to facilitate collaborations between the College and our K-12 partners to promote student success. Additionally, her efforts to promote Bergen as a community resource are endless.” Dr. Daniels has served as an educational consultant for IBM, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), The New York City Public Schools, The Institute for Research and Professional Development and Time Warner, Inc. “Time to Read”, Time Warner’s national literacy program was launched at Englewood’s Janis E. Dismus Middle School as a result of her efforts. This program was a component of the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR-UP grant which was a partnership between the College and the Englewood Public Schools from 1999-2005 where she served as Community Liason during the life of the grant. In September 2022, Dr. Daniels organized a community work group comprised of stakeholders that included educators, elected officials, organizational leaders and Englewood Public School Board members and administrators to work with Principal Lamarr Thomas. This yearlong effort focused on exploring pathways to college for both parents and students. Her on-Campus work recognized both locally and nationally, has included the establishment of recruitment programs and participation in Committees whose work targeted the on-boarding of Black students. Her piloting of the Summer Intensive Bridge Program in 2013, discontinued in 2023, impacted the lives of over 300 students who transferred to four-year colleges and universities. Dr. Daniels’ establishment of the campus Child Development Center (CDC) has been her most significant contribution to the College. The CDC, founded in 1982 is a Laboratory School model that services the children of students, faculty and the community in that order. Certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the CDC serves as a field and intern site for students enrolled in the curriculum areas of Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Nursing, Horticulture and Dental Hygiene as well as other curriculum areas. In September 2023, the CDC will celebrate its 41st year of providing a safe haven for children and families. Dr. Daniels has served as president of the Bergen/Passaic Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Urban League for Bergen County (ULBC), as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Food Action and as a member of the Board of the West Side Infant Day Care Center. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., and the New York Girl Friends, Inc., one of the oldest African American women’s organizations in the country. Dr. Daniels co-founded the Bergen County Affiliate, (BCDI Paramus now BDCI New Jersey) of the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) along with Professor Dallas Gray, her colleague at Bergen Community College. This organization has Affiliates in 24 locations in the U.S. She served as the Affiliate President from 2000 to 2010 and was instrumental in the development of the partnership between the College, the Hackensack Public Schools, and the National Black Child Development Institute. She was named President Emerita of the Bergen Affiliate. As Professor Emerita, remote access to the Bergen County community has allowed Dr. Daniels to continue her work in Bergen County. Her most recent projects include a collaboration between the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Bergen/Passaic, Bergen Community College, Teaneck Public Schools, and the Englewood Public School District to launch the Faith Ringgold exhibit at BCC and the Bergen Community College to HBCU pathways initiative. Dr. Daniels has been recognized for her outstanding community work by the following organizations. Among her many awards are: The Trail Blazer Award for Exemplary Membership from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen/Passaic Chapter in 2012, the Martin Luther King Outstanding Bergen County Citizen 2010 Award from Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, the Bergen Family Center Award in recognition of her life-long advocacy on behalf of children and families, National Negro Business and Professional Woman’s Association, Sojourner Truth Award, Pioneer Woman of the 90s awarded by former Bergen County Executive Pat Schuber and the Kathryn Miller Award from the Paramus Unitarian Church. Since 2014, Dr. Daniels has received four prestigious awards from organizations and entities. These include the Educator of the Year award from Positive Community Magazine in 2015, the Freedom Fund Award from the Bergen County NAACP in 2016, the Distinguished Community Service award from The Girl Scout Council of Northern New Jersey in 2016, the Outstanding Community Service Award bestowed by the Bergen County Jabari Society in 2018 and Professor Emerita Bergen Community College in 2021.