June 3, 2009

Patrick Rooney Appointed To Run Center On Philanthropy

As reported exclusively yesterday (6/02/09) on the Twitter feed of The NonProfit Times, Patrick M. Rooney, Ph.D., is the new executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He has been interim executive director since this past September when Eugene R. Tempel left the position to become president of the Indiana University Foundation.

“Patrick Rooney is the ideal person to lead the Center on Philanthropy into the future,” said Charles R. Bantz, Chancellor of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). “In this exciting era of new ideas and new directions in philanthropy, Patrick’s leadership, research expertise, and passion for improving philanthropy will enable the Center to play a leading international role in philanthropy’s future.”
 
Rooney was the Center’s first full-time director of research. He created its formal in-house research program, building it into one of the premier philanthropy research organizations in the nation. He also served as the Center’s chief operating officer for two years. A professor of Philanthropic Studies and Economics at IUPUI, Rooney formerly was special assistant to the Indiana University vice president for long-range planning and chancellor of IUPUI and simultaneously served as assistant dean for academic programs for Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.

“Philanthropy is at the heart of meeting people’s needs, enriching their lives, and uniting communities. The Center on Philanthropy equips the people involved philanthropy to carry out those vital missions,” Rooney said. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead this Center, which has made so many important contributions to philanthropy, and to have the opportunity to take it to new levels of leadership and service to nonprofits, donors and volunteers.”
 
As the Center’s first full-time director of research, Rooney created its formal in-house research program, building it into one of the premier philanthropy research organizations in the nation. He also served as the Center’s chief operating officer for two years. A professor of Philanthropic Studies and Economics at IUPUI, Rooney formerly was special assistant to the Indiana University vice president for long-range planning and chancellor of IUPUI and simultaneously served as assistant dean for academic programs for Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.
 
Rooney said his vision for the Center’s future includes: continuing and enhancing the Center’s academic, training and research excellence; expanding those programs internationally to help meet rising global demand for knowledge about philanthropy and increase the Center’s understanding of philanthropy in various cultures; and offering an undergraduate degree in Philanthropic Studies to attract the best and brightest students to study and work in philanthropy and supply the nonprofit sector with a new generation of thoughtful, well-prepared leaders.