Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
About Us
Rowan University entrepreneurial programs are designed to benefit students, faculty, and the regional business community and include an Entrepreneurship Specialization, a Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate Program, and the Entrepreneurial Boot Camps. We have recently relocated into the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center.
Mission & History
Mission: The mission of the Rowan University Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) is to foster an environment which encourages entrepreneurial thinking and activity through the tutelage and experiences of men and women who have created, managed, consulted or conducted research related to entrepreneurial endeavors. By combining practitioners and researchers from multiple disciplines in developing entrepreneurial activities, Rowan University can build an educational curriculum and a support system that will greatly enhance the ability of students and other key stakeholders to turn ideas into successful growth ventures. This will have a positive impact on economic development and growth in the State of New Jersey and the regional economy.
History: The CIE was created in 2003 by Dr. K. Mark Weaver, Rowan's first Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies, with the goal of providing benefits to students, faculty and the regional business community. The William G. Rohrer Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies was established with a gift from the Rohrer Charitable Foundation in 1994 and was the first professorial chair supported by private funds to be established at any former New Jersey state college.
Programs & Benefits
Because the CIE operates university-wide, we are responsible for establishing, directing, and maintaining several programs simultaneously across different fields. Our staff works to organize collaborative efforts between the members of our programs to reach our intended goals. Since we interact with many people across several disciplines, we are able to pool professional resources to ensure that projects are executed efficiently and correctly. Some of our ongoing projects include:
- Entrepreneurial Boot Camps for Faculty
- Advisory Board
- Entrepreneurs Forum of Southern New Jersey
- Regional Development
- Workshops and other Events
- Project-Based Learning
CIE Benefits include:
- Access to a national level entrepreneurship curriculum, resulting in improved job possibilities and greater wealth creation
- Opportunities for students university-wide to learn entrepreneurship
- Access to increased field experience projects and internship opportunities
Faculty/Staff
Steven E. Phelan - Rohrer Endowed Chair
Stephen M. Kozachyn - Director of Outreach
Theresa Lappe- Business Support Specialist
Graduate Assistants
Advisory Board
If you are interested in becoming an advisory board member, please send an email to kozachyn@rowan.edu or call (856) 256-4126
