College, 23 years ago, Chris Brennan
brought me in to meet President Cowan in
her office at the Lowell Campus. I had
come out of the defense industry; a
sector that was male dominated and was
very interested to meet Dr. Cowan. She
was and is so lovely and kind to a new hire.
Meeting her and our conversation that day
set me on my path in higher education. I
knew from the very first day that this would
be an exciting place to work and that
President Cowan was someone I would
want to follow. She encouraged me to be
entrepreneurial and I got the strong sense
that this was a person that I would learn
from. I am grateful for all the conversations
since. She has been a mentor and a model
of the perfect mix of professionalism and
humanity.
Carole Cowan in
1981 she was the
chair of the
Business division
and Middlesex
was struggling
to serve its
then, Carole stood out as a dedicated student advocate,
creative educator, supportive colleague, dependable
community partner and visionary leader. President Cowan
will certainly be remembered for building the college's
beautiful Bedford and Lowell campuses. Perhaps more
importantly, however, she will be remembered for
creating a college culture that values student success
first, is deeply committed to community responsiveness,
has the confidence to set high goals and the work ethic
to achieve them.
Cowan. Thank you for your strong leadership and
dedication to Middlesex Community College-- its
students, faculty, and staff. Some of my fondest
moments at Middlesex Community College were
our engaging conversations. You always made
time to listen to me and gave thoughtful advice. I
wish you continued success as you enter the next
chapter of your life.