Rowan University Gets $1.9M for 3D Housing Research & Roads

Rowan University and Gloucester County will share $1.9 million in federal community project funding to advance concrete 3D-printed housing research and critical road construction near the university’s West Campus in Mantua Township, Congressman Donald Norcross announced Monday.

Norcross made the announcement alongside Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand and Gloucester County officials during a visit to the West Campus, framing the dual investment as a strategic move to strengthen South Jersey’s position in both innovation and infrastructure.

“With this new community project funding, we are marking smart investments that keep South Jersey on the map as a leader in education and innovation,” Norcross said. “I always say that my three priorities are jobs, education and security in our nation and our neighborhoods, and this funding helps deliver on all three.”

More than $1 million of the total will fund additive manufacturing research led by Islam Mantawy, a Ph.D. and assistant professor in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. Mantawy’s work centers on the research, development and testing of concrete 3D-printed housing, a technology that has drawn growing interest from builders and policymakers wrestling with housing affordability and construction labor shortages.

The method uses large-scale 3D printers to extrude layers of specialized concrete mix, building walls and structural elements without traditional forming and framing. Proponents argue the process can cut construction time and costs significantly while reducing waste. Federal research dollars flowing to a New Jersey public university for this work signals that Washington sees additive manufacturing as a serious piece of the housing supply puzzle, not a novelty.

The remaining portion of the funding, more than $850,000, will supplement state Department of Transportation money already committed to extending Gilbreth Parkway to Lambs Road. The roadway runs parallel to Route 55 in Mantua and serves as a key access corridor for the growing West Campus. That campus has expanded considerably in recent years as Rowan has built out research facilities and academic programs that pull students and employees into the area daily.

Gloucester County Commissioner Matthew Weng said the road project would deliver benefits well beyond the university gates.

“This is a huge win for Gloucester County and Rowan’s West Campus,” Weng said. “Helping us deliver the road and infrastructure upgrades that will support growth for decades to come.” He also noted the improvements will make travel safer and more reliable for students, residents and local businesses along the corridor.

The combination of research funding and infrastructure investment reflects a strategy that economic development advocates have pushed in South Jersey for years. Anchor institutions like universities generate economic activity only when the surrounding transportation network can actually move people and goods efficiently. A bottlenecked access road limits hiring, discourages private development nearby and frustrates the students and workers the institution is trying to attract.

Houshmand was direct in crediting Norcross for Rowan’s trajectory as a research institution.

“What you have done for this school has been absolutely amazing,” Houshmand said. “Rowan University would not be what it is today without you. Since you have served in elected office, you have played a critical role in Rowan’s rapid rise as a research institution.”

That rise has been steep. Rowan has moved aggressively to build graduate programs, recruit research faculty and attract federal and private grants. Landing more than $1 million in federal support for a specific engineering research program puts Mantawy’s lab in a stronger position to publish, patent and potentially spin out applied applications from the work.

For South Jersey residents watching housing costs climb and local roads strain under growing traffic loads, the funding speaks to bread-and-butter concerns as much as any headline about innovation. The 3D-printed housing research could eventually help bring down construction costs in a region where new housing supply has lagged demand for years. The Gilbreth Parkway extension addresses a concrete, daily frustration for commuters navigating the Route 55 corridor through Mantua.

Whether both investments pay off depends on execution. But the dollars are committed, the researcher is in place and the road construction continues forward.