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Rowan University and the Entrepreneurs Forum of Southern New Jersey (EFSNJ) on Friday, May 18, will host their first Angel Investor Panel Discussion at The South Jersey Technology Park, 107 Gilbreth Parkway Mullica Hill, N.J. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., and the forum begins at 8 a.m.

Traditional angel fairs allow entrepreneurs to “pitch” their idea to a host of angel investors. However, based on feedback from EFSNJ members, the organizations decided to reverse the experience by allowing entrepreneurs to sit in the audience and pose questions to a panel of well-known and reputable angel investors.

According to Stephen Kozachyn, director of Outreach for Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business and manager of the Rohrer College of Business Incubator, “Entrepreneurs typically seek funding and have questions concerning funding their venture. This seminar will give them then the opportunity to ask questions and then network with the investors afterwards.”

The EFSNJ holds a program every third Friday of the month to offer entrepreneurs knowledge to help them succeed. “We provide a tremendous amount of resources to help entrepreneurs increase the chance of success,” said Kozachyn.

The May 18 event is $20 and includes breakfast. Register in advance online www.efsnj-may2012.eventbright.com.

For more information and directions, visit the EFSNJ website at www.efsnj.org or contact Kozachyn at 856-256-4126.

Ryan Ritchie, a junior social science/humanities major from West Deptford, took top honors — and a $5,000 prize — in the recent 6th Annual Rohrer Business Plan Competition at Rowan University.

The Business Plan Competition encourages the pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures and provides a forum in which students can present their ideas and win cash prizes to bring their dreams to fruition.

Ritchie won the competition over four other finalists for his Spider Gauge, a device that will inflate multiple truck tires without requiring supervision. Using a series of devices, a mechanic can regulate the tire pressures automatically.

More than 50 individuals/teams entered the yearlong Business Plan Competition — think a modified Shark Tank — which culminated in presentations by the finalists in front of a panel of judges (Linda Rohrer, president of Rohrer & Sayers Real Estate; Gerald Shreiber, president and CEO of J&J Snack Foods; Scott Kintzing, market president of Cornerstone Bank; and George Loesch, vice president of Campbell Soup Company).

Second place and $2,500 went to Alex Wooley, a senior entrepreneurship major from Sewell, for Scratch Indoor Golf Facility, which features five state-of-the-art golf simulators in a fun, relaxed sports entertainment environment that is not impacted by weather or lighting.

Ron Kohri came in third, with a $1,000 prize, for Kohri Sports LLC, designed to provide sports fans and analysts with the opportunity to evaluate the future performance of professional sports teams derived by their performance on fthe ield and free market principles. Kohri is an MBA student from Williamstown.

The two honorable mention winners, who earned $500, were Jason Hojnowski, a senior management major from Stratford, for DIY Garage, which provides the equipment and space for do-it-yourself car mechanics to perform simple maintenance and complete overhauls, and Jessica Zarandona, a senior entrepreneurship major from Randolph, for Build-A-Mattress, which allows for complete customization of mattress materials and foams for each individual.

Students who hope to enter various health care professions or focus on specific types of technology studies will have a new option in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Rowan University.

The formation of the School, which will open July 1, is one of the highlights of major changes in the structuring of academic programs at the Glassboro-based institution that the Rowan Board of Trustees recently approved.

The University also is separating the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences into two Colleges (Science & Mathematics and Humanities & Social Sciences) and shifting select programs from some of Rowan’s existing academic colleges into more relevant Colleges.

As of July 1, Rowan will offer colleges of Business, Communication & Creative Arts, Education, Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences, Performing Arts, and Science & Mathematics. Rowan also includes the College of Graduate & Continuing Education and this summer will welcome the first class into Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, created in collaboration with Cooper University Hospital.

The School of Biomedical Sciences will operate in conjunction with the colleges of Science & Mathematics and Engineering. The dean of Sciences & Mathematics, Dr. Parviz Ansari, will head the school, and professors from his college and Engineering will be part of the faculty.

The School of Biomedical Sciences will address growing needs in the region for programs that will prepare students for careers in health care-related fields, from pharmacy to biomedical engineering.

“As we look to leverage the opportunities the medical school provides, we anticipate growth in health science-related programs,” said Dr. James Newell, interim provost. Two programs are now under consideration by the University Senate: biomedical engineering and translational biomedical sciences.

Newell said the new School will provide many options for students that also will benefit the public at large, including preparation for medical school and graduate studies in pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, among other fields.

“We anticipate significant research collaborations among faulty and students in the new school and faculty, staff and physicians at the medical school and Cooper,” Newell said. “Students will now have options in South Jersey in rapidly growing employment areas that have never before been available to them. This school will contribute toward developing the educated workforce that businesses need if they are going to relocate to South Jersey.”