By Sheila Foran
In a ceremony on Thursday officially designating the former undergraduate education building as the John W. Rowe Center for Undergraduate Education, UConn President Susan Herbst spoke appreciatively of the role that Rowe, former chairman of the Board of Trustees, has played in the development of the University.
It is appropriate, she said, that a building where people come to find their way is named for a man who has given so much to UConn: “There’s a lot of advising in here … a lot of students come in looking for counsel … they come in looking for direction on how to navigate the University … so it’s only fitting that this building is named after one of our favorite people; a person who has given us outstanding direction and guidance during his time here.”
Dr. John W. Rowe served as Board of Trustees chairman from July 2003 through 2009. During that time, he oversaw the expansion of the University’s physical plant, helped negotiate notable growth in enrollment, and was instrumental in increasing UConn’s national academic ranking.
Current Board chairman Lawrence McHugh said, “Dramatic achievements like expansion and revitalization do not happen by accident. It requires a team of individuals who can work together to achieve success. Jack’s vision for UConn was simple … it was to make it into one of the very best research institutions in the nation. He, along with [former President] Phil Austin and others, set out to achieve this goal.
“The thing that stands out about Jack,” McHugh continued, “is his unwavering support of the University of Connecticut. No matter what the obstacles, UConn has no better friend and champion than Jack Rowe.”
In 2005, Rowe and his wife Valerie established the John and Valerie Rowe Health Professions Scholars program that helps students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in various healthcare fields with financial, academic, and experiential assistance. This program, along with the Honors Program, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Global Affairs, and the Center for Academic Programs, is located in the building that now bears his name.
Speaking as someone who has directly benefitted from the Rowe Scholars Program, Joshua Andrade, a junior majoring in molecular and cell biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, thanked the Rowes, saying, “The big question [in my mind] was did I want to become a doctor. Thanks to the Rowe Scholars program, I have found that the answer is yes; your namesake program was the catalyst for choosing my career and possibly my life’s work. It changed me as a person.”
For his part, Rowe expressed his appreciation to fellow board members and other colleagues who welcomed him when he first arrived on campus as newly minted chairman of the Board.
“I was a newcomer to UConn and Phil [Austin] and others were patient with me, and they taught me how to get to Storrs,” he said. “They taught me the legacy and the history and the culture of this place, and I just loved it.
“I had spent my career in academic settings … Harvard for 16 years … Mt. Sinai [Hospital and School of Medicine] for 12 … and I found UConn more interesting!” Rowe added. It has a special place in the culture and intellectual fabric of this state … and it is exciting for Valerie and me to have our name on this building that is the home of the Honors Program and the core of undergraduate education here on campus.”
Adapted from UConn Today