NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Rockefeller University today announced that Jun Yang has been named vice president and chief investment officer (CIO) of the University. Yang, who comes to Rockefeller from Oberlin College, will assume stewardship of the biomedical university’s $3.0 billion endowment starting July 1, 2026.
Yang succeeds current vice president and CIO Paula Volent who is stepping back from her full-time role and will continue to serve the University on a part-time basis as senior advisor. During her term as CIO, Volent guided the university through unprecedented challenges while building a highly talented team and realizing strong returns while maintaining the financial flexibility needed to support our scientific mission. Drawing on decades of experience and relationships across the investment world, she also opened the door to a number of highly sought-after investment opportunities that will benefit Rockefeller for years to come.
Yang comes to Rockefeller with more than 20 years of experience, effectively leading institutional investment programs and managing multi-billion-dollar endowments at Oberlin and previously at the Weizmann Trust which manages the investments and philanthropic assets for the Weizmann Institute of Science.
“Jun is an exceptional investment leader whose experience, judgment, and track record make him uniquely suited to guide Rockefeller’s endowment into its next chapter,” said Richard P. Lifton, Rockefeller’s president. “He inherits an extraordinarily strong foundation built by Paula, whose outstanding leadership has helped position Rockefeller to thrive amid a rapidly changing landscape for biomedical research. At a moment when the funding environment for science faces growing uncertainty, the stewardship of our endowment has never been more important. We are grateful for Paula’s years of outstanding service, and are delighted to welcome Jun to the university, providing a smooth transition and continued strength in this vital role.”
Yang earned his MBA from Cornell University, a Master of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and his bachelor’s in engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
“Rockefeller occupies a unique place in the scientific world, and I am honored by the opportunity to join an institution with such an extraordinary history of discovery and impact,” said Yang. “I am excited to help steward the university’s endowment in service of Rockefeller’s mission, and I am fortunate to inherit a high-performing investment program built by Paula Volent, whose leadership has positioned the endowment for continued success. I look forward to working closely with Paula and with Rockefeller’s trustees, leadership, faculty, and staff to build on that foundation and ensure the university has the resources and financial strength to pursue groundbreaking science for generations to come.”
“Paula was already widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier chief investment officers when she joined Rockefeller, and over the past five years she has delivered outstanding results for the university,” said Bill Ford, chair of Rockefeller’s Board of Trustees. “Her leadership strengthened Rockefeller’s financial foundation at a time when support for scientific research is more important than ever, and I am grateful that she has agreed to remain involved as Senior Advisor to ensure a seamless transition. At the same time, I am equally excited to welcome Jun Yang, whose distinguished record of endowment stewardship and long-term investment success makes him an outstanding choice to lead Rockefeller’s Investment Office into the future.”
About The Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is the world’s leading biomedical research university and is dedicated to conducting innovative, high-quality research to improve the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. The university’s unique approach to science has led to some of the world’s most revolutionary and transformative contributions to biology and medicine. During Rockefeller’s 125-year history, our scientists have won 26 Nobel Prizes, 26 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, and 20 National Medals of Science.
Media contact:
Katherine Fenz
kfenz@rockefeller.edu
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jun-yang-named-vice-president-and-chief-investment-officer-of-the-rockefeller-university-as-paula-volent-transitions-to-senior-advisor-role-302809564.html
SOURCE The Rockefeller University
