In his first decade leading Rowan University, Dr. Ali Houshmand oversaw the dramatic growth of the century-old institution. The Chronicle of Higher Education cited the school as the fourth-fastest-growing university in the country. Now, he wants to chart the next decade for Rowan.
Houshmand said he sees Glassboro as a vibrant college town, on par with Madison, Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, Michigan, that keeps the local economy strong.
“If you look around every corner of this country where there is a research university, you will see that the economy of that region is vibrant,” he said. “No matter what happens to the economy of that entire state within which that state university is located.”
Houshmand’s aspirations for Rowan as a force in South Jersey are gradually catching on, according to Janet Garraty, executive director of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce.