A bipartisan delegation of New Jersey state lawmakers visited Rowan University on Aug. 18 to present a ceremonial check for $6 million in state funding dedicated to the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine.
The presentation was held at the new veterinary school facility during the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey TD Executive Series event. The gathering featured discussions with Rowan University President Ali Houshmand and Founding Dean Matthew Edson, alongside introductory remarks from Chamber President and CEO Christina Renna.
The legislative delegation presenting the funds included Majority Leader Louis Greenwald; Sens. Troy Singleton (a 2005 Rowan alumnus), John Burzichelli, and James Beach; and Assemblymembers David Bailey Jr., Heather Simmons, Carol Murphy, and Cody Miller.
Highlighting the collaborative, statewide effort required to establish New Jersey’s first and only veterinary school, Senator Singleton emphasized how the institution keeps aspiring local animal care professionals close to home.
“So many young men and women who aspire to take care of our animals, both domestic and our working animals, used to have to go across the river or across the country to get that education,” Singleton said. “And now that education stands here and it’s kept home.”
President Houshmand expressed deep gratitude to the lawmakers for championing the funding during a challenging state budget cycle. Originally backed by a $75 million legislative appropriation approved in 2021 to construct its primary academic and clinical building, the veterinary school represents a vital expansion for the university.
Rowan University is one of only two public institutions nationwide to grant D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. degrees. Opened to its inaugural class, the Shreiber School is one of only 36 veterinary colleges in the United States and one of just five in the Northeast.
Named in honor of the late New Jersey business leader and philanthropist Gerald B. Shreiber—who pledged $30 million to support student scholarships and animal welfare—the school features an advanced veterinary teaching hospital providing primary, urgent, and specialty care for small animals alongside field services for large livestock.
