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Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Class Day ceremony on May 20 for the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. A leader in global development and philanthropy, Shah has dedicated his career to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including global health, economic inequality, and climate change.
The ceremony will take place at Baker Athletic Complex, located at 505 West 218th Street, New York.
“Our graduates will confront a rapidly evolving landscape,” SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo said. “With so much uncertainty ahead, Shah is uniquely positioned to inspire and guide them as they prepare to make an impact with their SIPA degrees.” His life’s work also exemplifies our mission—to promote global leadership and bold solutions to solve our most complex policy challenges.”
His expertise in harnessing data, technology, and cross-sector partnerships, as outlined in the 2023 book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, has positioned him as a key figure in international development.
Shah previously served at the US Department of Agriculture, and as administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). He also served as a member of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board, which provides the Secretary of Defense independent advice on defense policy. Shah, who is also a medical doctor by training, launched and led innovative programs such as Feed the Future and Power Africa, helped orchestrate humanitarian missions with the US military in Haiti and Afghanistan, and played a pivotal role in containing an Ebola epidemic in west Africa and more.
Since taking the helm at The Rockefeller Foundation in 2017, he has spearheaded initiatives aimed at advancing equitable economic opportunity in the United States, expanding access to renewable energy, and strengthening global health systems. Under his leadership, the foundation played a critical role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, launching efforts to ensure access to tests and other advances, with partners across the public and private sectors in the United States and abroad.
Raised outside of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Shah is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the Wharton School of Business. He has received several honorary degrees, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, and the U.S. Global Leadership Award.
