Mayor talks about Rowan, its impact on the township and what’s being done to support graduating seniors
By LOUIS MANZO
Mayor
It’s no secret that Rowan University has evolved into one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher education over the last decade or so. The growing list of accolades includes the U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 ranking in the following categories: Top 25 percent Universities Nationwide, №20 Public University (north region), №2 Most Innovative and №22 Engineering School nationwide.
That periodical also recognized Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine in 2015 on their list of Best Medical Schools, naming them №12 in the country for geriatric medicine. Not to mention that Forbes and Money magazines included Rowan on their lists of Top Colleges in 2016–17 — and that’s only in the last few years!
We are proud to associate our community with Rowan University, considering that much of their west campus lies in Harrison Township. We have also built a close relationship with the university leadership over the last several years to help support and leverage the economic engine that it has become.
The recipe for Rowan’s success has multiple ingredients, but clearly the partnership of Sen. Steve Sweeney and Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand has been key. Sweeney’s focus on legislation that ensures state funding for higher education in South Jersey and Dr. Houshmand’s vision of public-private partnerships as an economic driver has led to the transformational changes we all see.
This out-of-the-box philosophy breeds an innovative culture and I want to alert you to, and hopefully engage you in, one such program. It’s called Houshmand’s 100-Day Challenge.
It is born out of the belief that a university should not only provide you with a degree, but also prepare you for the transition to the workplace in pursuit of your dreams. In their final semester, university seniors start interviewing for their first jobs. They have managed to finance their education, but many don’t possess the proper professional clothing for job interviews. This challenge is a drive to fill that gap for these young people and pack the Rowan Student Closet. The goal is to collect 300 suits, dresses and professional accessories between Dec. 1 and March 10. What an incredible idea!
If you have a job that requires business attire, I know you’ve accumulated suits and accessories over the years that have worked their way to the back of your closet; never to be seen again. I’m guilty of that, so I took the challenge and came up with five great suits, 15 dress shirts and 20 ties I haven’t worn in years. After a trip to the dry cleaners, all of that will end up in the Rowan Student Closet and I will have a little more room in mine. Perfect!
Get more details on Houshmand’s 100-Day Challenge on the homepage of our township website at www.HarrisonTwp.us. It will make you feel good.
