President Ali Houshmand recognized as a New Jersey “Icon”

Many on campus and off consider Ali A. Houshmand iconic for his style, vision and leadership in shaping Rowan University as the institution’s seventh president.

NJBIZ magazine this month recognized Houshmand as iconic too.

Houshmand and some 50 other New Jersey leaders in business, education, banking, law, public service and other fields were named as recipients of the NJBIZ ICON Awards.

The magazine’s ICON Awards program recognizes leaders 60 years of age and older who have made significant contributions to their organization, region and state.

Recipients will be formally recognized during the magazine’s virtual awards ceremony June 22.

Houshmand, who became president in 2012 after serving for roughly six years as provost/senior vice president, CEO and interim president, has overseen Rowan’s transformation from a well-respected state university into a top public research institution with two medical schools.

Focused on increasing access to an affordable four-year degree, he shepherded the University to online success with the formation of Rowan Global, partnered with regional county colleges in programs that enable students to earn their degree in fewer years and for less money, and oversaw an institution that, during his tenure, has roughly doubled enrollment to nearly 20,000 students.

Modest at the news of his NJBIZ award, Houshmand said he was “honored to be part of such a distinguished group of people."

“While I am named, it’s really the University that is honored,” he said. “We are fortunate for having such dedicated employees who have made the University what it is today.”