The rockefeller university

With my time as president of The Rockefeller University coming to an end in just a few weeks I want to take this opportunity — my last column in BenchMarks — to express both how much I appreciate having had the opportunity to lead this great university and the pleasure of working with an outstanding group of colleagues for nearly eight years.

There have been a number of initiatives attempted since 2003, two of which I am particularly glad to have seen succeed. The first is our faculty recruitment program. Under the outstanding guidance of its chairs and with contributions from many faculty members, the faculty search committee has identified an exceptional and diverse group of young recruits who will contribute greatly to Rockefeller in the coming years. The scientists we have hired are working in a variety of exciting areas, from cell biology to immunology to ethology. They are bright and energetic, and they will enhance the intellectual culture and community of Rockefeller for many years to come.

The second is the Collaborative Research Center. With help from our Board of Trustees and thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have managed to improve and modernize the university’s most elderly infrastructure in a way that will help foster interactions and collaborations. Buildings do not always work the way that you hope they will when you see their designs on paper, but in this case I think they will. The Greenberg building is both grand and intimate and the labs of Smith Hall are functioning well, their open structure both comfortable to work in and an encouragement to scientists’ working together.

Credit for these accomplishments of course belongs to everyone. The Executive Officers, the Board and Academic Council have contributed greatly. Innovative science requires not only imaginative scientists and competent leaders, but also excellent support from the administrative and service staff who, for example, run the equipment, keep the books, take out the trash and look after the mice. Rockefeller’s staff are truly dedicated to their work and it is because of all of them that the university is as successful as it is.

One other development which I am personally pleased to have been able to influence is what I see as an increased transparency and openness in the management of the institution. Over the years we have been able gradually to shape our working practices, which I hope has led to increased consensus, and to clarify policies and procedures for the benefit of our community.
It is sad for me to be stepping down, but the opportunity to play an important role in science in the U.K. is one I could not pass up. The Royal Society, the presidency of which I assumed at the end of 2010, is the oldest scientific academy in the world, and its president is the informal scientific advisor to the prime minister. As well as holding this post, I will be the director and chief executive of the U.K. Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, a new facility in central London devoted to understanding the basic biology underlying human health. The UKCMRI will be of a similar size to Rockefeller and much of what I have learned here will inform my work there.

I also plan to maintain a lab at Rockefeller, and I will be visiting every couple of months. I have greatly enjoyed my years here, and I intend to keep a strong connection with the university as president emeritus. Anne has also very much enjoyed living in New York and working with the Child and Family Center, where she has many friends among both the children and the teachers.

As you know, Marc Tessier-Lavigne will succeed me as Rockefeller’s president in March. The search committee, led by the Chairman of the Board, Russ Carson, made an excellent choice with Marc. Having worked in both academia and industry, he brings a new, fresh perspective to the university. He is experienced in managing complex organizations and has a particular interest in translational biomedicine. I’m confident that the university will be in very good hands with Marc. I wish Marc, and all of you, the very best for the future.