Ali Houshmand, President, Rowan University

Ali Houshmand, president of Rowan University, spoke with Invest: about the university’s expansion projects, its role in the local economy, and how it leverages technology to keep up with education trends.

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What have been the key milestones and achievements for Rowan University over the last 12 months?

We completed three major projects. The first was the building of our $200 million School of Veterinary Medicine, including a new research facility, which opened in October. The second is the $80 million Edelman Fossil Park Museum, one of the most anticipated of its kind in the world, which opened in March. The third is a $35 million expansion of our student center, which opened in May.

We opened the Virtua Health College Research Center in December. This $50M biomedical research facility is adjacent to the vet school building. The $30M Rowan-Virtua Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions building is well underway. An $80M building is in development for the Ric Edelman College of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences. In the long term, we are working on plans for a 250-acre, $1 billion multi-generational wellness housing village.

Taking a broader look at the economy, how have ongoing changes in the market impacted the university?

Unemployment impacts the type of people who seek education, especially nontraditional students who can come into education or go to the work market. When interest rates go up, the cost of borrowing goes up, and we either need more money from the state, or we need to increase tuition and fees for students. The other area is the employability of our staff. Anything that happens to the U.S. economy has a direct impact on us. At the end of the day, we are a business as well. There is a transaction going on, we are not any different from other industries in terms of the impact of economic activities. 

How does the university’s transformation impact Glassboro?

The formula is running the university by applying business principles and partnering with others. We do aggressive fundraising and partner with a lot of people so that they become part of us and make the institution bigger. We are an $800 million operation, so we are not insignificant. When we use our economic power to extend our reach, to make the economy of our region better, and make the campus safer, local property values rise. If you come and see what has happened in Glassboro over the last 15 years, you will see the impact of Rowan. We have a vibrant university that applies business principles and makes the community a partner to the growth of the institution. 

There is a lot of conversation around students evaluating whether higher education is worth the money and time. What is your response to that debate?

Many people are questioning the investment in higher education, and they want a return on their investment. Rowan is regularly ranked among the institutions nationally that offer the “best value” for students’ investment. Frankly, a college degree offers a lifetime of growth and opportunities. Granted, there are well-paying and rewarding jobs an individual can pursue without going to college, but a college degree offers social mobility across a broad spectrum of fields. At Rowan, we have created many pathways to a college degree, including four-year degrees that are less than $30,000.  

How are you addressing the evolving needs of the labor market, and how do you ensure that your graduates are prepared for today’s workforce challenges?

In all of our professional degrees, we strive to be a practicality-oriented university. Every one of our engineering majors goes through a clinic project: four years of experiential learning in an industry while doing their studies. We partner with companies so our students can get internships. We employ many former senior executives in what we call “professor of practice,” bringing an important perspective into the classroom.

We invest heavily in new technology and collaborate with Hollywood companies with a technology called Dreamscape Learn, which uses virtual and augmented reality to create courses in tune with today’s technology and simulate being in the field. We work with companies to ensure we produce graduates that companies can use. The university of the future has to be different in many ways, from the buildings to the way of teaching, accreditation, and the use of technology. With technology, the notion of a traditional classroom model is coming to an end. 

How do you view the introduction and impact of AI in the educational sector?

AI will have a monumental impact on everything we do, not just in education but in life in general. We embrace AI and use it to the maximum benefit for the good of society. We have a director of AI, a professor of engineering who is an expert in artificial intelligence. We plan to use it as a supplement in the classroom, mentorship, health counseling, and admissions. I believe the potential in AI is monumental, but there will be a period of adjustment.

Everybody now has access to all the knowledge in the world. Professors will be able to teach students how to use this massive amount of information for the good of the world. That’s the education of the future.

What opportunities do partnerships such as with the Naval Air Warfare Center and the Naval Surface Warfare Center create for Rowan and the community?

Students get real-world experience working on projects alongside their professors, and they get paid for their work. Many of these students immediately find employment after they graduate. We have a close relationship with Lockheed Martin, which hires over 100 of our students every year. During the four years students are studying here, they work on projects with Lockheed Martin and get to know the company. As soon as they graduate, they are hired with a good salary. We train for the future of society. 

Given the university’s growth in recent years, are you planning to add more programs to your curriculum?

I think it’s time to stabilize our curriculum. If you look at the population of the South Jersey region, we are bigger than many entire states in the country. Our focus will be more on partnerships with major industries, creating practical education, and stabilizing the kind of degrees and majors we offer. In the span of 12 years, we built three medical schools. What we need to do now is stabilize these gains, then proceed to the next level of growth. The pandemic taught us that we can’t take the healthcare sector lightly, and we need enough dedicated people in healthcare professions to care for everybody. 

How is the Division of University Research addressing the temporary pause of federal agency grants, loan,s and financial assistance? 

We will need to be prepared for any changes. Our job is to adjust our way of doing things so that we are consistent with laws and regulations. We believe in the projects that we’re doing, and hope we don’t see any disruptions. We work closely with the U.S. military on several projects, and those are the things that are helping our country and creating important opportunities. 

What is your outlook for Rowan University and the higher education sector over the next few years? What are your top priorities?  

Our top priority is to pivot the institution so that every facet of it is in line with today’s economy, a high-tech and advanced world where things are moving fast and the rate of growth of technology is enormous. I believe Rowan will be an example for other institutions. Many institutions are going to go out of business, and others are going to merge. Technology and the rate education is delivered is going to experience a monumental change. It’s going to be exciting, but we’ll need to be prepared for changes and emerging possibilities.