William Brody will retire as president of the Salk Institute on Dec. 31 after a six-year tenure that included a successful $300 million fundraising campaign.
“My tenure at the Salk has been a tremendously rewarding experience, and it has been an honor to be part of such a storied and important place,” said Brody, whose retirement was announced this week. “With our successful fundraising campaign finishing this year, it will be a good time for the institute to recruit its next leader.”
During Brody’s tenure, the institute’s endowment more than doubled, from $133 million in 2009 to $356 million in 2015. The institute said such funding is critical to providing long-term stability and flexibility to adapt rapidly as science evolves.
Brody, who is 71, said that in retirement he will continue to provide guidance to the institute as a professor emeritus while pursuing personal interests, including music and aviation.
Irwin Jacobs, chairman of Salk’s board of trustees, is leading a committee of trustees, faculty and non-resident fellows to search for the institute’s new president. A national recruiting firm has been retained to support the search.
“While I am saddened by Bill’s decision to leave Salk, he will be leaving the institute in a very strong position to attract an exceptional leader to continue our trajectory of making groundbreaking discoveries that lead to critical cures,” says Jacobs. “He has contributed greatly to the Salk legacy, setting the stage for continued excellence as we move to new leadership.”
Brody joined the Salk in 2009 shortly after retiring from his 12-year presidency at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla is one of the world’s preeminent basic-research institutions. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, the institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.
