March 2024

Vol. X Issue 3

Neal Asbury mentoring students during his visit.

A leader in global trade, CEO Neal Asbury returns to Rowan to mentor and inspire

Profoundly affected by undergraduate study abroad in Europe, music major Neal Asbury ’79 decided to follow a different beat: a career in international trade.



And did he ever.

Asbury, who returned to Rowan University this semester as Professor of Practice and Entrepreneur in Residence in the Rohrer College of Business (RCB), is chief executive officer and founder of The Legacy Companies, a global leader in the manufacture and distribution of kitchen appliances and food service equipment.



Beneath the umbrella of The Legacy Companies resides more than a dozen highly successful businesses including Chef’s Choice, with its line of world-class knife sharpeners; Maxx Cold, which makes commercial refrigeration equipment; and West Bend, a popular consumer brand that produces a wide range of products, from coffee makers and blenders to air fryers and bread makers.

Creatives 230 named among AACSB "Innovations That Inspire"

Just one year since its launch, Creatives 230, an interdisciplinary experiential learning lab in the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE), was named among the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business’s 2024 Innovations That Inspire.

It’s the third time that the international accrediting organization has recognized Rowan’s RCIE program in its Innovations That Inspire initiative.

AACSB previously named Studio 231, a maker space for the Rowan community, and Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy among groups of educational Innovations That Inspire.

Born of a collaboration between Jenny Drumgoole, an associate professor in the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, and Jessica Vattima, assistant director of the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship within the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE), the program combines creativity and entrepreneurship, enabling students to collaborate and benefit from experience gained.

Student browses clothes at Prof Swap event.

Prof Swap bring the circular economy to the Rowan community

Instead of buying something new, trade what you don’t use for something new to you.

That’s the premise behind Prof Swap, an event that encourages Rowan students, faculty and staff to exchange gently used items for someone else’s. There’s no money involved, but there are gains. Participants clear out clutter and bring home clothes and items they’ll use.

At the first Prof Swap Dec. 6 in Business Hall, donors traded used clothing, books and board games for tickets to spend on others’ donated items. More than 230 students, faculty and staff attended, swapping more than 600 items and donating more than 1,000.

“We’re creating a circular economy,” said Aarushi Gupta, a 21-year-old MBA fellow from Marlton who facilitated the event. “Instead of engaging in more consumerism, you're participating in the economy by trading for things that have been previously used.”

A circular economy minimizes waste in production and consumption, Gupta explained. On the consumer side, that means buying fewer new items and more pre-owned stuff. 

Professor Berrin Guner and Associate Professor Saravanan Kuppusamy pose with students visiting 3M in Panama.

RCB students explore supply chain, marketing and culture in Panama

An immersive week abroad gave students in the Marketing, Supply Chain, and Management Information Systems program the chance to learn in Panama.

“Panama has a strategic importance for U.S. companies’ operations,” said professor of marketing Dr. Berrin Guner, who designed the program to further students’ academic and cultural knowledge. Nearly three-quarters of transits that pass through the Panama Canal either originate in or ultimately arrive in the United States, Guner explained.

From Jan. 3-10, Guner and associate professor of supply chain and logistics Dr. Saravanan Kuppusamy (SK) guided students through a series of site visits across Panama City, companies included Copa Airlines, 3M, and Panama Pacifico. Students viewed both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Panama Canal by visiting Agua Clara Locks and Miraflores Locks.

“The students experienced how a country markets itself and how supply chain operations affect marketing,” Guner said. 

Artur Workstuts '25 is one of four RCB students who have earned an internship at the Philadelphia International Airport.

RCB students intern at Philadelphia International Airport

Four RCB students have landed internships at one of the largest business hubs in the region: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

An introduction to Director of Air Service Development and Cargo Services Edgar Vesga by RCB professor of marketing Dr. Berrin Guner paved the way for students to connect with the internship opportunities at PHL. Last spring, Guner and assistant director of the Rohrer Center for Professional Development Elisabeth Parker took 10 marketing students on a behind-the-scenes tour of PHL, complete with meetings with PHL’s director of marketing, director of guest experiences and CEO.

“Site visits like this serve as a strategic tool for our students seeking internship or employment opportunities, providing them with firsthand exposure, personal connections and insider insights,” Guner said.

“Experiences like these not only provide opportunities for students to learn the ins and outs of different industries but also to network,” Parker said. 

U.S. News & World Report Names five Rowan online degree program among the best for 2024

Rowan University has long committed to expanding online degree options, which increase access to a college education, can be taken anywhere, and are often as affordable, or more so, than in-person programs and classes.

U.S. News & World Report today included five Rowan programs in its ranking of the best available online programs anywhere.

Among the magazine’s list of the 2024 Best Online Programs is Rowan’s Master of Business Administration through the Rohrer College of Business, at #111.

As Seen on Social Media