John H. Martinson believes in the power of university honors colleges.
Rowan University’s Honors College is a sparkling gem, he says. “I’m certainly impressed with the leadership, faculty and students of the Honors College,” says Martinson, a venture capitalist and chairman of Martinson Ventures, based in Newtown, Pa.
“I’m eager to accelerate that progress.”
Martinson, who has led 80 companies to phenomenal success in the software industry, founded Edison Partners in 1986, a company that has raised 10 partnerships in the financial technology, healthcare IT and interactive marketing sectors.
Now, through a gift of $5 million, he has placed his confidence in Rowan’s Honors College.
The gift to the college—which has been renamed the John H. Martinson Honors College—will greatly expand opportunities for Rowan Honors students, according to Honors Dean Lee Talley. Among them: more paid research opportunities, spring break service trips at no cost to students, and funding for study abroad.
“These are things that our students often can’t even consider because of financial constraints,” Talley says. “This will allow us to open up these types of experiences to a whole new group of Rowan students.
“Mr. Martinson’s gift is going to broaden and deepen absolutely everything we do.”