September 2, 2004 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the largest grant makers in the world, has named a former president of the University of Pennsylvania as its new president.
Judith Rodin, 59, said she accepted the job because of the New York foundation’s long history of working to alleviate poverty, reduce hunger, and respond to other issues in the United States, Africa, and elsewhere.
“Today the focus of this wonderful foundation on the root causes of social ills is very powerful and very compelling,” she said.
Ms. Rodin, who holds a doctorate in psychology, said she plans to be involved in the foundation’s work in a “really granular way.” But despite her hands-on approach, Ms. Rodin said she will not change the causes Rockefeller supports. “There is the potential for exploration, but I am deeply committed to the program areas of the foundation,” she said.
For 10 years, Ms. Rodin served as head of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, where she is credited with doubling the amount the institution spent on research. Before serving at the university, she was provost at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn.
Rick Cohen, executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a foundation watchdog group in Washington, said the selection of Ms. Rodin will help Rockefeller forge new relationships with charities working to revitalize poor urban areas. He cites her work while at the University of Pennsylvania with the West Philadelphia neighborhood adjacent to the university’s campus. “Penn’s community partnership activities were accomplished largely as a result of Dr. Rodin’s leadership,” he said by e-mail.
But not all foundation observers are pleased with the appointment. “The problem with modern philanthropy is that it hasn’t yet figured out that social problems aren’t scientific puzzles to be solved by academic research,” said William A. Schambra, director of the Hudson Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal, in Washington, by e-mail. “It would be nice if she opened the new era at Rockefeller by confronting that issue. Her career path, though, suggests more of the same tired, failed, root-causes orthodoxy.”
Ms. Rodin replaces Gordon Conway, who headed the foundation for more than six years. He announced his retirement last year.
Ms. Rodin will receive a salary of $575,000 a year, more than the $526,000 salary Mr. Conway earned this year. George Soule, a spokesman for the foundation, said Ms. Rodin’s compensation was based on how much other foundations and similar organizations pay their top executives, as well as on Ms. Rodin’s experience.
