The rockefeller university

Paula Volent and Jun Yang

After five years leading Rockefeller’s Investment Office, Paula Volent has elected to step back from her full-time role as vice president and CIO and will continue to serve the University on a part-time basis as senior advisor. Jun Yang who comes to Rockefeller from Oberlin College, will assume stewardship of the biomedical university’s endowment starting July 1, 2026.

During her term as CIO, Volent helped position Rockefeller for long-term success through exceptional stewardship of its endowment and putting in place a highly talented team. She guided the university through unprecedented challenges while growing the endowment to $3 billion, generating top returns, strengthening investment operations, and ensuring the university maintained the financial flexibility needed to support its 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.

“Rockefeller’s commitment to discovery and innovation is unmatched, and it has been immensely rewarding to help support the mission through growing and strengthening the endowment,” said Volent. “I look forward to continuing to serve Rockefeller as senior advisor and to supporting a smooth transition as Jun assumes this important role. I am confident that the endowment and investment program are well positioned to help sustain Rockefeller’s scientific leadership for generations 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. He 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.

“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.”

“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.”

Known for delivering top-quartile returns and building high-performing investment teams, Jun brings a disciplined investment approach grounded in a clear understanding of how endowment stewardship can advance an institution’s mission and strengthen its future.

“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.