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 or forthcoming 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 is currently an associate editor at Academy of Management Journal. She also serves on the editorial review board of Academy of Management Review and is a member of the leadership team for the Strategic Management Society’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.​