Buffalo, NY - Canisius University unveiled a new interdisciplinary academic space named in recognition of John (Jack) W. Rowe ‘66, HON ‘02, MD and Valerie Rowe, PhD, for their longstanding support of science education.
Housed on the lower level of Science Hall, The John W. Rowe ‘66, HON ‘02, MD and Valerie Rowe, PhD, Life Science Collaboratory advances Canisius’ vision for interdisciplinary science education, bringing together students, faculty and staff in the Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation, Biomedical Sciences, Kinesiology, and Physician Assistant (PA) Studies programs in a shared, 17,000-square-foot space designed to foster innovation, creativity and collaboration. The Rowe Collaboratory is home to 19 state-of-the-art teaching and research labs that provide students and faculty with engaging spaces that more closely reflect modern healthcare and life-science teaching, learning and working environments.
“Jack and Valerie understood the importance of investing in the sciences long before this project took shape,” said Canisius University President Steve Stoute. “The Rowe Collaboratory is a testament to their generosity and belief in what Canisius students are capable of doing when given the right environment to learn, explore and discover. We are deeply grateful for their vision, their commitment to this university, and the impact their support will have on generations of students to come.”
Jack and Valerie Rowe have been very generous supporters of Canisius over the years, including a $2 million gift to support interdisciplinary science education and an additional $1 million gift to help fund the development of classroom, laboratory and office space for science programs.
“Valerie and I are delighted to be linked to the Collaboratory in Science Hall as spaces such as this foster the interdisciplinary collaboration that has become a vital element of modern science,” said Jack Rowe, whose association with Canisius began when he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1966.
He went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1970 and built a career spanning medicine, scientific research, healthcare leadership and academia.
Jack served as chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna, the nation’s leading healthcare and related benefits organization, from 2000-2006. Prior to joining Aetna, Rowe was president and CEO of Mount Sinai NYU Health, one of the nation’s largest academic healthcare organizations. He previously served as president of Mount Sinai Hospital and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Earlier in his career, he was a professor of medicine and founding director of the Division on Aging at Harvard Medical School and chief of gerontology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, MA.
Rowe joined Columbia University in 2006 and is the Julius B. Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging at the university’s Joseph Mailman School of Public Health. His scholarship focuses extensively on aging, including laboratory and clinical research on the physiology of human aging and advancing the concept of successful aging. Rowe is the author of more than 200 medical journal articles, reviews and abstracts and the co-author of Successful Aging.
A loyal alumnus, Rowe is an inductee of the university’s DiGamma Honor Society and a recipient of Canisius’ Distinguished Alumni Award. He returned to alma mater in 2002 to address the graduating class at commencement and receive an honorary degree.
Valerie Rowe earned her doctorate degree from Fordham University and spent four decades in education. She began her career in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District near Rochester, NY, and later joined Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education, where she was a clinical associate professor in the Division of Curriculum and Teaching.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
