ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Kean University to Strengthen Urban Centers and NJ ’ s Regional Economies
Through a more-than $ 1 million , five-year grant , the university will invest in cities .
Compiled by John Joseph Parker Contributing Editor
Kean University is one of 25 colleges and universities nationwide selected for a U . S . Economic Development Administration ( USEDA ) University Center grant to promote innovation and strengthen regional economies .
Through the more-than $ 1 million , five-year grant , Kean will create the Center for Business / Workforce Development , Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship , the first of its kind in the state . The Center will work to strengthen regional economies statewide by providing support , expertise , applied research and technical assistance to identify and address the specific regional needs of urban centers .
“ This is exciting news for Kean University as we move toward becoming the state ’ s first urban research institution ,” says Kean President Lamont O . Repollet , Ed . D . “ This places the university at the forefront of supporting innovative economic development research and sustainable solutions to strengthen the economy throughout New Jersey .”
Kean will receive $ 101,000 each year for five years from the USEDA and will provide matching funds . After the end of the grant period , Kean and the other USEDA University Center institutions may reapply for an additional fiveyear grant .
“ Kean University is one of the most diverse universities in the nation and is committed to empowering its students and surrounding communities ,” says Sen . Bob Menendez ( D-NJ ). “ This funding will ensure the university has the resources to spur economic development , innovation and entrepreneurship while lifting up residents across New Jersey .”
Kean was selected for the competitive grant along with other institutions in the Chicago and Philadelphia regions . Selected with Kean in the Philadelphia region are Cornell University , Penn State University , the University of Maryland , Lehigh University , Virginia Tech and others . A total of $ 2.5 million was awarded .
“ EDA University Centers are important partners in locally driven economic development strategies ,” explains U . S . Secretary of Commerce Gina M . Raimondo . “ These institutions of higher education will provide critical technical assistance to support regional efforts to boost innovation , create good-paying jobs and ensure American competitiveness in the global economy . President Biden is committed to building
Kean University President Lamont O . Repollet , Ed . D .
our economy back better , and these grantees will play a vital role in that at the local level .”
Roughly 60 University Centers are in operation at any given time in U . S . states and territories . The grants are awarded through an open and competitive process in five-year cycles across all six economic development regions as designated by the USEDA .
“ Kean University will leverage its research capabilities , state-of-the art technology labs and
“ Kean University is one of the most diverse universities in the nation and is committed to empowering its students and surrounding communities ....”
faculty expertise as resources that can be used to respond to the economic development needs of local and regional communities ,” says Joseph Youngblood II , Ph . D ., Kean senior vice president for external affairs . “ We will be partnering with multiple state and federal agencies in the region to leverage university assets and build regional economic ecosystems that support innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship , resiliency and inclusiveness .”
Kean ’ s center will focus on specific economic sectors in different regions of the state — agriculture in
U . S . Senator Bob Menendez ( D-NJ )
South Jersey , advanced manufacturing in Central Jersey and small businesses in North Jersey .
“ Our goal for small businesses is to promote growth through resiliency so that these important drivers of the economy can withstand natural disasters and other challenges such as the COVID‐19 pandemic ,” says Barbara George Johnson , Kean vice president for the John S . Watson Institute and urban policy and research .
The Center will work with Kean partners — the John S . Watson Institute for Urban Policy , the College of Business and Public Management , the Small Business Development Centers of New Jersey and the Institute for Life Sciences Entrepreneurship ( ILSE )— as well as external partners , including the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association , the New Jersey Manufacturing Exchange Program and the African American and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of New Jersey .
“ Partnering with local institutions to support urban centers and foster regional economics as they rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic is one of Governor Murphy ’ s top priorities ,” says New Jersey Economic Development Authority ( NJEDA ) Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan . “ Kean University ’ s Center for Business / Workforce Development , Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship is a unique initiative that will play an important role in growing New Jersey ’ s economy , with a specific focus on the Governor ’ s targeted sectors .”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka , the president of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association , said
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