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Horizons' Rutenberg to Head Expanded
HIV and AIDS Program
Population Council and Horizons veteran Naomi Rutenberg has been
named director of the Council’s recently reconfigured HIV and AIDS
program.
At the time of her promotion, Rutenberg was the head of the
Council-directed Horizons program, which uses operations research to
improve response to the HIV pandemic in developing countries. Rutenberg
is well known within the HIV and AIDS community, having spent more than
two decades conducting behavioral and program research on the virus and
its effects, as well as on reproductive health. She is widely published,
speaks often at conferences and seminars, and has been a principal or
coinvestigator on many important research studies.
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From left to right: President Peter J.
Donaldson; vice president and Distinguished Scholar John Bongaarts; Poverty, Gender, and Youth
program director Wendy
Baldwin; general counsel and secretary Patricia C. Vaughan; HIV
and AIDS program director Naomi Rutenberg; chief financial
officer and treasurer Kenneth L. Payne; Reproductive Health
program director John W. Townsend; and Corporate Affairs
Division director James E. Sailer. Photo credit: Karen Tweedy-Holmes/Population Council |
“We at the Population Council already know Naomi Rutenberg to be a
strong leader, a talented and influential researcher, and an excellent
collaborator,” says Council president Peter Donaldson. “Her extensive
international experience, knowledge of the HIV and AIDS field, and
passion for our work make her an ideal leader for our HIV and AIDS
program.”
The goal of that program is ambitious: to conduct research that helps
to reduce new HIV infections, and mitigates the impact of AIDS on those
who are infected and affected. The Council’s pioneering role in
microbicide development, technology introduction, and operations
research makes the organization uniquely qualified to shape strategies
for microbicide introduction and access.
“We have the expertise and experience to rise to this challenge,”
says Rutenberg. “The Council has a world-class team of biomedical and
social scientists. They conduct cross-cutting research on identifying
biological mechanisms of action, product development, clinical trials,
product introduction, addressing power and gender issues, strengthening
health systems, and employing sophisticated approaches to program
evaluation, giving the Council the opportunity to establish leadership
in important areas within the field.”
Rutenberg began her tenure by asking herself and her staff
fundamental questions: Based on what the Council has already
accomplished, where do we want to put our emphases? What do individual
scientists, researchers, program managers, or communicators need to be
successful? What are the most promising ways to have a measurable
impact? The answers will help to shape the program.
“We are creating a new way of working that emphasizes partnerships,”
she says. “For internal teams, that means integrating diverse
perspectives and expertise within the Council. For external
partnerships, that means linking with communities and peer organizations
to address collectively the HIV pandemic in developing countries. We
intend for these cross-fertilizations to foster new research and pilot
programs, producing evidence for effective, equitable HIV programs and
measurable impacts on HIV policies and programs.”
Rutenberg received her Ph.D. in sociology and demography from
Princeton University in 1993. She also holds a master's of arts degree in
Latin American studies from the University of Florida. In addition to
her considerable experience in Africa, she has worked extensively in
Brazil and speaks Portuguese. She serves on the editorial committee of
the Council’s peer-reviewed journal, Studies in Family Planning.
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