Houshmand named to the 2019 ROI Influencers: People of Color list

ROI-NJ named Rowan University President Ali A. Houshmand to a group of highly accomplished New Jerseyans Sept. 16 when it announced its inaugural ROI Influencers: People of Color list.

In compiling the list, magazine editors wrote that it sought to recognize that “New Jersey will soon become a majority minority state — meaning more than half of its population will be non-white. In order to be considered, one had to fall under that definition of minority, including those who identify as Hispanic, African American, Asian or multiracial.”

Editors wrote that “Houshmand is an innovator in the higher education space and continues to grow the South Jersey brand well beyond its previously limited reach. Many know about the expansion of the university in the past few years, but few know the man behind the growth. Houshmand knows he is not only growing the next generation of leaders, but also is helping add to the growth of the South Jersey economy. It’s a tough task he is handling with ease.”

Other influencers who made the list include N.J. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, N.J. Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, and both of New Jersey’s United States senators, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.

Raised in poverty in Iran, Houshmand is a U.S. citizen who earned a second master’s degree and his doctoral degree from the University of Michigan. He became Rowan’s seventh president in 2012. He and his wife, Farah, have two grown children.