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Judith Rodin

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Judith Rodin
Rodin in 2011
12th President of the Rockefeller Foundation
In office
March 2005 – February 2017
Preceded byGordon Conway
Succeeded byRajiv Shah
7th President of the University of Pennsylvania
In office
July 1, 1994 – June 30, 2004
Preceded byClaire Fagin (Acting)
Succeeded byAmy Gutmann
Personal details
Born
Judith Seitz

(1944-09-09) September 9, 1944 (age 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Spouse(s)Bruce Rodin
Nicholas Neijelow
Paul R. Verkuil
Children1
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Columbia University (MA, PhD)
Academic background
ThesisThe Effects of Distraction Upon the Performance of Obese and Normal Subjects (1971)
Doctoral advisorStanley Schachter
Academic work
DisciplineSocial psychology
Institutions

Judith Rodin (born Judith Seitz, September 9, 1944) is an American research psychologist, executive, university president, and global thought-leader. She served as the 12th president of the Rockefeller Foundation from 2005 to 2017.[1] From 1994 to 2004, Rodin served as the 7th president of the University of Pennsylvania, and the first permanent female president of an Ivy League university.[2][3] She is known for her significant contributions to the fields of behavioral medicine and health psychology, higher education, and philanthropy, as well as championing the concepts of impact investing and resilience.

Early life and education

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Rodin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[4] on September 9, 1944, as Judith Seitz. She grew up in a middle-class Jewish family and was the younger of two daughters of Morris and Sally Seitz.[5][6] She graduated with honors from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and won an undergraduate scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania.[7]

At Penn, Rodin majored in psychology and graduated from the university's College for Women with a B.A. in 1966. She was the president of Penn's Women's Student Government and led the groundwork for the merger with the Men's Student Government[8] that ultimately formed the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education (SCUE) in 1965 that led to the co-education of the College of Arts and Sciences.[9] She went on to earn a Ph.D. from Columbia University, which she received in 1970. Rodin completed postdoctoral research at the University of California at Irvine in 1971.[10]

Career

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In 1972, after teaching briefly at New York University, Rodin became an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University, where she was to become well known among students as a popular lecturer.[7] Specializing in research on obesity, eating disorders, stress and aging, she would become the Philip R. Allen Professor of Psychology and a professor of medicine and psychiatry while serving in a succession of leadership positions from 1972 to 1994: director of graduate studies, chair of the Department of Psychology, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and provost.

In 1994, Rodin was appointed president of the University of Pennsylvania, becoming the first permanent female president of an Ivy League institution and the first graduate of the university to take on its highest leadership role.[7] Her immediate predecessor was Dr. Claire M. Fagin, who served in 1994 as Interim President.[11] As president, Rodin guided the university through a period of unprecedented growth and development that transformed Penn's academic core and dramatically enhanced the quality of life on campus and in the surrounding community. She encouraged revitalization in University City and West Philadelphia through public safety; the establishment of Wharton School alliances for small businesses; the development of buildings and streetscapes that turned outward to the community; and the establishment of a university-led partnership school, the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School.[12]

Under Rodin's leadership, Penn invigorated its resources, doubling its research funding and tripling both its annual fundraising and the size of its endowment. It also created Penn Medicine, the unified organization comprising the university's medical school and hospital; attracted record numbers of undergraduate applicants, creating Penn's most selective classes ever; and rose in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of top national research universities from 16th in 1994 to 4th in 2002.[13]

Rodin became president of the Rockefeller Foundation in March, 2005, succeeding Gordon Conway and becoming the first woman to serve as the foundation's president. Her leadership was characterized by a strategic focus on resilience as a guiding framework for addressing complex global challenges, including environmental sustainability, urbanization, healthcare access and economic inequality. She encouraged collaboration with governments, nonprofits, academia, and the private sector to scale innovative solutions and drive systemic change.

In 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rockefeller launched the first of many urban resilience initiatives to help rebuild New Orleans and prevent future disaster.[14] In 2007, the Rockefeller Foundation helped to shape the space around impact investing when a group of philanthropists, investors and entrepreneurs discussed the topic at the foundation's Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy.[15][16] One year later, the Rockefeller Foundation's board of trustees approved $38 million in grants for initiatives in the field of impact investing such as the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).[17] Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Rodin was appointed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to co-chair NYS 2100,[18] a commission charged with finding ways to improve the resilience and strength of the state's infrastructure in the face of natural disasters and other emergencies.[19][20] Central to her leadership was the launch of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) initiative in 2013, aimed at helping cities around the world prepare for and withstand the challenges of the 21st century. Under her guidance, 100RC provided technical assistance, funding, and a global network of experts to cities, fostering comprehensive resilience strategies tailored to local needs.[21][22]

Rodin's tenure at The Rockefeller Foundation was marked by her advocacy for philanthropic leadership and social impact. She championed initiatives that aimed to empower marginalized communities, promote inclusive economic growth, and strengthen civil society organizations. Her strategic approach to philanthropy emphasized measurable outcomes, transparency, and accountability in achieving lasting social change.

Professional affiliations and publications

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Rodin has served on the Board of Directors of many leading public companies, including Citigroup, Comcast Corporation and Aetna, as well as numerous venture-backed startups and non‐profits including Athena Technology, Prodigy Finance, New World Symphony, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Carnegie Hall.[23][24] She serves or has served as a trustee of or an advisor to such organizations as the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Psychological Association and the White House's President's Council of Advisors in Science and Technology (PCAST), and she serves as Chair of the National Academy of Medicine's Grand Challenge on Climate Change, Human Health, and Equity.[25]

Rodin has authored or co-authored more than 200 academic articles and chapters, and has written or co‐written 15 books, including The University & Urban Revival: Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Street, The Power of Impact Investing: Putting Markets to Work for Profit and Global Good with Margot Brandenburg, The Resilience Dividend: Being Strong in a World Where Things Go Wrong, and Making Money Moral: How a New Wave of Visionaries is Linking Purpose and Profit with Saadia Madsbjerg.

Awards and honors

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Rodin was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 1982,[26] to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990,[27] and to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.[28] She has been awarded nineteen honorary degrees from institutions such as New York University (2004),[29] Johns Hopkins University (2016),[30] and most recently from Yale University (2024).[31]

She received the Philadelphia Award (2004),[32] was the first woman to receive the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's William Penn Award (2004),[33] and was honored with the Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement (2006).[34]

Rodin was named one of Crain's 50 Most Powerful Women in New York list three years in a row,[35] and was also recognized on Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women.[36] She was placed on the National Association of Corporate Directors' (NACDs) Directorship 100, in recognition of her work promoting the highest standards of corporate governance, was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women".[37]

Personal life

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Rodin is married to Paul R. Verkuil, President Emeritus of the College of William and Mary, former dean of the Tulane University Law School and former CEO of the American Automobile Association.[38] Verkuil was also a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served previously as dean. Rodin was previously married two other times, to Bruce Rodin and to Nicholas Niejelow, with whom she has a son, Alexander Niejelow who is married to Ioanna Kefalas.[7][39]

References

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  1. ^ Judith Rodin, PhD :: The Rockefeller Foundation
  2. ^ "Leaders of the University of Pennsylvania: Presidents". Archived from the original on 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
  3. ^ "Dr. Judith Rodin". huffingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  4. ^ "America's Best Leaders 2009: Judith Rodin – USNews.com". usnews.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Familiar Jewish Names On Forbes Most Powerful Women List". Jspace. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  6. ^ Jewish Women's Archives: "Psychology in the United States" by Rhoda K. Unger] retrieved March 26, 2017
  7. ^ a b c d O'Neill, Molly (20 October 1994). "ON CAMPUS WITH: Dr. Judith Rodin; In an Ivy League of Her Own". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  8. ^ "5/25/04, the Rodin Decade - Almanac, Vol. 50, No. 34".
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2013-12-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ Biographical Details from the Rockefeller Foundation Archived 2012-06-01 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Judith Rodin: Rockefeller Foundation Head Changes the Charity and the World – US News and World Report". usnews.com. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  12. ^ "A community reborn", APA Online, accessed 18 Dec 2008
  13. ^ "Judith Rodin to Step Down as President of Penn In June 2004". University of Pennsylvania Almanac. 20 June 2003. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  14. ^ Candid. "Rockefeller Gives $3 Million in Katrina Aid for Housing, Redevelopment". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  15. ^ "Roles Foundations Play in Shaping Impact Investing (SSIR)". ssir.org. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  16. ^ Team, Forbes Wealth. "Impact Investing: The Billionaires Building Change". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  17. ^ "Global Impact Investing Network Expands Collaboration with Omidyar Network, USAID, and The Rockefeller Foundation to Support Growth of the Impact Investing Field". U.S. Agency for International Development. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  18. ^ ""Governor Cuomo Announces Commissions to Improve New York State's Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities"". Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
  19. ^ "Can This Woman Save New York from the Next Sandy"
  20. ^ "Learning from Superstorm Sandy"
  21. ^ "Evaluating Urban Resilience through the 100 Resilient Cities Program". Urban Institute. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  22. ^ "Michael Berkowitz: Community is the secret of urban resilience". GreenBiz. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  23. ^ "Rodin juggles corporate, govt. duties - Resources". archive.ph. 2007-02-27. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  24. ^ "ATEK Company Profile & Executives - Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Cl A - Wall Street Journal". www.wsj.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  25. ^ "Climate Change Steering Committee". National Academy of Medicine. August 18, 2024.
  26. ^ "National Academy of Medicine". Dr Judith Rodin. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  27. ^ "Judith Seitz Rodin". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  28. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  29. ^ Passaro, Jon. "Rodin to receive 2 honorary degrees". www.thedp.com. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  30. ^ "Eight receive honorary degrees at Johns Hopkins commencement". The Hub. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  31. ^ "Judith Rodin". Yale 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  32. ^ "Judith Rodin". WHYY. Archived from the original on 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  33. ^ "Gale - Product Login". galeapps.gale.com. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  34. ^ "Gold Medalists". Pennsylvania Society. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  35. ^ "Most Powerful Women in New York 2011". 26 June 2011.
  36. ^ "The Forbes Power Women list ranks the world's 100 most powerful women by dollars, media presence and impact". Forbes.
  37. ^ "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2001. Archived from the original on 2004-02-09.
  38. ^ Paul Verkuil, Professor of Law Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "Ioanna Kefalas, Alexander Niejelow". The New York Times. 2018-11-11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
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Academic offices
Preceded by President of the University of Pennsylvania
1994–2004 		Succeeded by
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