Houshmand talks U.S. News rankings—and his hot sauce brand—with author Malcolm Gladwell

Houshmand talks U.S. News rankings—and his hot sauce brand—with author Malcolm Gladwell

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Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand shared his views on the U.S. News & World Report university ranking system with podcaster and journalist Malcolm Gladwell. He also introduced Gladwell to his signature Houshmand's Hazardous Hot Sauce, the sales of which help Rowan students in need.

U.S. News & World Report rankings and Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce were hot topics when Rowan University President Ali A. Houshmand appeared on a recent podcast by New York Times best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell.

During Lord of the Rankings, produced by Pushkin Industries, Houshmand and Gladwell discussed U.S. News & World Report rankings and how universities can influence those rankings. The podcast explored the “secret formula” that is used to rank institutions nationwide. Author of six New York Times best-selling books, Gladwell is president and co-founder of Pushkin and a staff writer at The New Yorker.

At the 19:08 mark of the podcast, Gladwell expresses his affinity for Rowan and chats with Houshmand about the University’s U.S. News rankings, which are done through peer assessments.

Further into the podcast, at 24:08, Houshmand discusses Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce, his own signature brand of hot sauce. To help educational leaders nationwide learn more about Rowan and its entrepreneurial spirit, Houshmand shared the hot sauce, which is made from peppers he grows, with college and university presidents across the country.

At 34:17 of the podcast, Gladwell and his colleagues sample Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce, which comes in three varieties: Ali’s Nasty, Nastylicious, and Nastyvicious.

The hot sauce got good reviews from Gladwell and his team.

“This is really good,” Gladwell said, congratulating Rowan on the hot sauce venture. “I don’t see any Harvard hot sauce.”