Overview

• Gerken will become the Ford Foundation’s 11th president and the second woman to lead the organization when her term begins in November 2025.
• She has served as dean of Yale Law School since 2017 and is recognized for her scholarship on constitutional law and democratic governance.
• At Yale, Gerken launched pipeline-to-law-school programs and full-tuition scholarships to boost enrollment of underrepresented students.
• Her legal credentials include voting rights advocacy at Jenner & Block and clerkships with multiple Supreme Court justices.
• She steps into leadership as the philanthropic sector faces federal funding cuts and challenges to tax-exempt status under President Donald Trump’s administration.