2020 New Jersey Guide_Site Selection

I N V E S T M E N T P R O F I L E
KEAN UNIVERSITY
R&D’s New Home Base
With a new leader at the helm, Kean University is poised
to become the state’s next great research institution.
New Jersey’s first
public post-secondary
institution, Kean
University (pronounced
“cane”), is a growing
educational hub for business, health
care and technology. Serving more
than 16,000 undergraduate and
graduate students at four campuses in
New Jersey and abroad, the university
has earned a reputation for graduating
some of the state’s top talent.
Amid a global pandemic in May,
Kean University’s board of trustees
selected its newest leader following a
comprehensive nationwide search. The
board chose a leader they were already
familiar with — Kean University
alumnus Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.
— for his extensive background in
education. Before becoming the
university’s president, Repollet served
as the Commissioner of Education
under Governor Phil Murphy. As
commissioner, Repollet expanded early
childhood education, strengthened
STEM opportunities for students and
40 NEW JERSEY: THE STATE OF INNOVATION
by SAVANNAH KING
promoted a positive school culture
that embraces social and emotional
learning.
We spoke with the university’s
new leader about his plans for the
institution and what the university
brings to the state’s business climate.
When you took on the president’s
role earlier this year, how did you
approach the university’s unique
challenges with the COVID-19
pandemic?
Lamont O. Repollet: When I
became president of Kean University,
I announced three pillars on which
I would focus this academic year —
safety, equity and academic excellence.
Safety is truly my top priority as we
tackle the unprecedented challenges
posed by COVID-19. Collaboration and
innovation are key to bringing all of us
through this pandemic.
The President’s Task Force, which
included members from across our
campus community, worked together
to create a comprehensive plan for
launching remote and hybrid courses
and bringing resident students back
to campus safely in Fall 2020. A
partnership with the County of Union,
in which the county operates a drivethrough
COVID testing site on campus,
has become key to our efforts to protect
our community as all students, faculty
and staff have access to free testing on
campus. It’s also a great example of the
kind of partnerships with businesses and
government entities that are a priority
at Kean. Our students are participating
in internships and conducting research
across a range of disciplines as a result
of the testing partnership. They are
developing invaluable real-world skills
that will serve their future employers
well.
Over the years, Kean University
has evolved from a teaching
college into a major state
Photos courtesy of Kean University
university. Where do you want to
take Kean in the future?
Repollet: I have said this clearly from
day one — Kean University will become
the next world-class research institution
in the State of New Jersey. We are
pursuing the R2 Carnegie classification
to take the university from great to
elite. Kean is already on its way. Our
annual Research Days event, in which
students from across all disciplines
present their research, has grown tenfold
since it launched. Faculty and students
are excited about conducting research.
We are seeing more of our students win
national research competitions against
students from some of the most elite
universities in the country.
Kean has many programs to
encourage and support research,
including our Research First Initiative
at the New Jersey Center for Science,
Technology and Mathematics and our
Freshman Research Initiative that runs
campuswide. Both programs bring
freshmen into research early in their
academic careers. The university’s
Office of Research and Sponsored
Programs is charged with growing
research enterprise throughout the
university with an emphasis on facultystudent
research and securing external
funding.
With new facilities like Hynes Hall,
the home of the College of Business
and Public Management, and the new
Hennings Research wing of our science
building, Kean students have access to
state-of-the-art technology to spur their
curiosity and support their educational
and research goals. We’re also focused
on recruiting diverse faculty to teach
and conduct research through the
new Equity in Action Presidential
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
A significant number of Kean
University students are the first
in their families to go to college.
How would you describe the
university’s role in promoting
social mobility?
Repollet: U.S. News & World Report
has ranked Kean as a top-performing
school for social mobility for two years
running and recognized Kean among
the most ethnically diverse universities
in the northern United States. This
recognition is a tremendous source of
pride for us.
Equity is more than a buzzword
for me. It drives all that I do. As a
first-generation college student myself,
I know personally the importance
of education in opening doors of
opportunity for all students. Equity
will always be a part of who we are
as a university.
Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.
I have created an Office of Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion to take the lead
in ensuring all students are welcomed
and supported at Kean. We have many
different academic support programs
that start before students even come to
campus. Our Supplemental Instruction
program encourages all students to take
challenging math and science courses by
having embedded academic support in
the class. I like to say that Kean receives
students where they are and takes them
where they want to go.
What sets Kean University apart
from other higher education
institutions in the region?
Repollet: Kean’s diversity is one
of its great strengths. Our students
come from every different background
you can think of, and at Kean, they
collaborate, learn and socialize together.
Our diversity gives them an education
outside the classroom and makes them
ready to thrive in the global job market.
In addition to that, our students
benefit from outstanding academic
programs — many of them recognized
among the best in the state and nation
— taught by faculty who are experts
in their fields and go the extra mile to
provide students with the support and
one-on-one mentorship they need to
excel.
How does Kean University
support entrepreneurship and
innovation in Northern New
Jersey?
Repollet: Right on Kean’s campus, we
are working to support entrepreneurship
and innovation through the Institute for
Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE).
Located in our STEM Building, ILSE
is a nonprofit life science technology
accelerator, business incubator and
research institute. It’s been recognized
as a top life science-tech accelerator and
works with partners as varied as the
CARB-X Global Accelerator Network
in its fight against drug-resistant
antibiotics to the Township of Union
as it seeks to expand its outreach to life
science entrepreneurs.
Many of Kean’s students intern with
ILSE, creating a mutually beneficial
relationship between the university
and the science entrepreneurs. We are
always looking for new opportunities to
work with corporations and nonprofits
to support scientific and technological
discoveries and expand the resources
available to our students.
This Investment Profile was prepared under the auspices of Kean University.
For more information, contact the Office of the President at (908) 737-7000.
NEW JERSEY: THE STATE OF INNOVATION 41