A woman who wants 'it all'

Presidential nominee Judith Rodin is a woman who believes in "having it all." "I remember some people accepted being good at one thing, and I thought, 'That's silly. Why not try to be good at everything?'" the petite, five-foot-three Philadelphia native said earlier this year in a Working Woman magazine interview. The charismatic 49-year-old Yale provost, who has written numerous books on women's health and fitness, enjoys exercising, skiing and playing tennis. But, most of all, she enjoys her work as the top-ranking female administrator in the Ivy League. Rodin cites her "female management techniques" as one of her cherished leadership skills. "While this is a gross overstatement, women, for the most part, are taught from a young age to be empathetic and to relate to others," she said. "I think universities today need that kind of careful leadership." Rodin, who is divorced, said she tries to spend as much time as she can with her 11-year-old son, Alex. Balancing work and parenting may be one of her most difficult challenges but, she says, it's all well worth it. The University graduate's name topped the list of up-and-coming administrators long before she was named yesterday as the nominee to head the University. Last spring, Rodin, a noted research psychologist and former Yale graduate school dean, was one of the top candidates considered for the Yale presidency. Rodin lost out to 47-year-old Richard Levin, dean of Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her name, however, did not go unnoticed. This summer, Rodin set her sights to head the National Institutes of Health, the premier biomedical research center. She became one of two finalists considered by the Clinton administration to head the NIH. Although she lost the position to Harold Varmus, a Nobel Prize-winning microbiologist at the University of California at San Francisco, Rodin established herself as a top-notch candidate, waiting for the right opportunity. That opportunity just happened to be the University's presidency. Rodin's mother, Sally Seitz, a resident of Philadelphia, said she always knew her youngest daughter was going to be successful. "From the time she was in kindergarten, she's always gotten 'excellent' ratings," Seitz said. "When I saw her all grown up, I knew she had every attribute of a good leader." Seitz said Rodin "was nothing but a pleasure since her birth" – except when it came to piano lessons. "She was so interested in everything, except piano playing," Seitz said. "I used to say, 'Judy, please, play a few notes,' but she just wasn't interested." Rodin graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University in 1966. She earned her doctorate from Columbia University in 1970, and began teaching at Yale in 1972. In 1991, Rodin became dean of Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. One year later, she assumed the position of Yale provost, making her the highest-ranking female administrator in the Ivy League. Rodin experienced a bit of stormy weather during her brief period as dean of Yale's graduate school when more than 1,000 Yale graduate students went on strike in December 1991, citing low pay and long hours. The students' attempt to unionize failed, and many graduate students criticized Rodin's involvement. President Search Committee member and American Civilization graduate student Susan Garfinkel said while the strike did concern her, she believes Rodin did not mishandle the situation. "I am fairly convinced she walked into that situation as the new dean," Garfinkel said yesterday. "Many Yale graduate students seem to be satisfied now, and I think Rodin's experience will benefit our graduate students." Rodin has co-authored 10 books focusing on women's health, diet and fitness. She has been president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and the Eastern Psychological Association. She has served as a board member to the Yale New Haven Hospital and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

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