The Public Interest Investment Advisory Committee of Johns Hopkins University has reconvened following submission of a divestment proposal by the JHU Palestine Solidarity Encampment. The first meeting of this PIIAC cycle took place on June 28, and the committee is aiming to complete deliberations and issue its advisory opinion to the board of trustees by the end of March 2025.
PIIAC members were selected to represent the Johns Hopkins community and include a broad cross-section of university stakeholders. The provost and the executive vice president for finance and administration appointed the committee from a pool of nominees solicited from the deans' offices, Student Affairs, the Johns Hopkins University Council, the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee, the Staff Advisory Council, and the Cross-Institutional Student Advisory Committee. PIIAC members serve three-year terms.
The university's board of trustees created the PIIAC to advise them on responsible investment decisions for the university's endowment managed by the JHU Investment Office—particularly investments that may cause a substantial social impact. The investment-review process has been in place for more than 30 years, and the PIIAC has existed as a standing committee since 2014, when trustees established it and approved a revised Statement on Investment Responsibility Regarding Separately Invested Endowment Funds.
The initial divestment proposal relates to the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The university has also received correspondence from members of the community on both sides of the larger Israel–Palestine conflict. It should be noted that the PIIAC's mandate is limited to investment considerations, and members are charged to act with impartiality and fairness in all deliberations. The PIIAC will follow the review procedures that were established by the university.
The PIIAC process is always available to JHU community members, who may submit proposals or feedback for the committee to consider at any time by emailing piiac@jhu.edu. Additional information about the committee, the process, and how to submit proposals can be found at jhu.edu/piiac.
The PIIAC's current membership is as follows:
Trustees
- Charles P. Scheeler, retired partner, DLA Piper US LLP; trustee, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine; chair, PIIAC
- Mary Ann Dickson, managing director, Global Head of Agreements & Documentation, Bank of America; trustee, Johns Hopkins University; president, Johns Hopkins Alumni Council
Faculty
- Mohammad Allaf, professor of urology, oncology, and biomedical engineering and director of the Department of Urology and the Brady Urological Institute in the School of Medicine
- Stefanie DeLuca, James S. Coleman Professor of Social Policy and Sociology in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
- Paul Ferraro, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Human Behavior and Public Policy in the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Carey Business School, and Whiting School of Engineering
- Konstantinos Konstantopoulos, William H. Schwarz Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering
- Mario Macis, professor of economics in the Carey Business School and the Berman Institute of Bioethics
- Thomas Rid, professor of strategic studies and director of the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies in the School of Advanced International Studies
- Robbie Shilliam, professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
- Cynthia Wolberger, professor and director of biophysics and biophysical chemistry in the School of Medicine
Staff
- Coretta Bennett, director of operations, Design and Construction in Johns Hopkins Facilities and Real Estate
- Boi Carpenter, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations
- Jackson Ireland, executive vice dean for Finance and Administration at the Bloomberg School of Public Health
Students
- Ona Ambrozaite, graduate student, Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
- Clark Didavi, undergraduate student, Applied Math and Statistics, Whiting School of Engineering
- Ria Gupta, medical student, School of Medicine
- Hannah West, undergraduate student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Romance Languages, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Support Staff
- Stephen Gange, executive vice provost and professor, Office of the Provost
- Jay Rowan, chief business officer, Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Tiffany Wright, deputy general counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Posted in University News
