Professor Cowen’s research interests center on corporate governance and strategic leadership. Her work aims to develop socially informed theories that help to explain decision-making and outcomes in these domains. She is especially interested in understanding how key stakeholders interpret and respond to organizational failures or controversies. Professor Cowen’s research is published in journals such as Academy of Management Journal; Academy of Management Review; Strategic Management Journal; Journal of Management; Journal of Applied Psychology; and Journal of Accounting and Economics. She was previously an associate editor at Academy of Management Journal and currently serves on the editorial review boards at AMJ and AMR. Professor Cowen is also a member of the leadership team for SMS’s Strategic Leadership & Governance Interest Group. 

In addition to her research activities, Professor Cowen has taught courses on international corporate governance, strategy, leadership, and organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School of Government, and the McIntire School of Commerce. She has worked with undergraduate and graduate students as well as executives from a variety of industries. In 2017, she was the recipient of an All-University Teaching Award. Before pursuing an academic career, Professor Cowen worked as a Marketing Manager at Time Inc. in New York City.