Wei appointed as vice president for research at Rowan 

In preparation for exponential growth in its research profile, Rowan University on Tuesday said it appointed Mei Wei as vice president for research.

Wei joined Rowan on July 1 from Ohio University, an R1 public research institution, where she served as associate vice president for research and creative activity.

Wei’s professional appointments have included interdisciplinary work in materials science and engineering, and biomedical engineering. A fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Wei has received numerous awards for innovation and professional excellence.

An expert in biomaterials, Wei is also an entrepreneur who co-founded a biomedical device startup company specializing in products for improved bone repair and regeneration. She holds six patents and has published more than 200 refereed journal articles and conference proceedings.

Rowan’s President Ali Houshmand said Wei’s interdisciplinary background fits neatly with the institution’s expansion plans.

“We are positioning Rowan to one day become a Carnegie R1 institution, a designation reserved for the nation’s most impactful public research universities,” Houshmand said. “This will have an immeasurable impact on the economic development of our region. We expect Rowan will benefit greatly from Dr. Wei’s expertise in research & development.”

“I’m excited by the possibilities before us,” Wei said. “Rowan is already attracting fast-rising researchers who want to make meaningful impacts in their respective fields. They see what I see: an environment primed for growth.”

Wei earned her Ph.D. and Master of Engineering degrees in materials science and engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia; a Bachelor of Engineering in metallurgy materials and engineering from Shenyang University of Technology in China; and a certificate in management development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.