Rodin recalls one of her great efforts

Homecoming came a little early at Penn, at least for former University President Judith Rodin.

Rodin, president of the University from 1994 to 2004, opened her remarks at the Kelly Writers House yesterday by relating what she called a "decisive moment, seminal incident" in her presidency: a mugging-gone-wrong that ended with the death of a member of Penn's faculty on Halloween, 1996.

She used that incident as a jumping-off point to discuss her efforts to connect Penn more strongly to the neighborhood during her time here.

A product of both Philadelphia public schools and Penn, Rodin said she realized that without becoming a true partner in the community, Penn would decline along with its surrounding area. Her goal was to improve the quality of life in West Philadelphia while at the same time preserving the neighborhood's identity.

Her five-point "holistic" approach included making the streets safer, rehabilitating housing, developing a retail market, creating more economic opportunities within the neighborhood and improving the quality of public schools.

All five points, she said, were critical for the University to gain leverage within the community.

Speaking to an audience filled with faculty members, Rodin recounted the difficulties in working to integrate Penn into the fabric of West Philadelphia life. 40th Street became a "seam" in that fabric, knitting town and gown together with shops and other enterprises, she said.

While there were skeptics and detractors at the time, Rodin and her team worked to find creative solutions to problems they felt many universities would face in the coming years, she said.

Two years after departing from Penn, Rodin said she couldn't be happier with the path her initiatives have taken.

"I'm thrilled to see how [the initiatives have] been maintained and are growing," she said. "They've evolved and they've been built into Penn's consciousness and behavior."

Audience members were interested to hear Rodin's take on one of her major initiatives as president.

She "has done so much for the Penn community," College junior Anna Raper said. "She really summed up what she thought was very important to the Penn community. She's such an important part of Penn's history."

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