Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has announced the recent addition of two new members to the Rensselaer Board of Trustees. Dr. John D. Bennett, President and Chief Executive Officer of CDPHP, and Ms. Kathryn I. Murtagh ’87, Esq., Chief Compliance Officer and Managing Director for Sustainable Investing of Harvard Management Company Inc. (HMC), joined the board effective March 13, 2020.

“I am delighted that these two distinguished leaders are joining our Board of Trustees as we approach the 200th anniversary of the founding of Rensselaer,” said Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer. “Their insights and experience will help us extend our leadership in research and pedagogy and reinforce our commitment to instilling our students with intellectual agility, multicultural sophistication, and a global view.”

“The Board of Trustees extends a warm welcome to our newest colleagues,” said Arthur Golden ’66, Chairman of the Rensselaer Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for their commitment to serve, and look forward to working with them as we fulfill the promise of The New Polytechnic.”

Dr.  John Bennett, MD, FACC, FACP, was named president and CEO of CDPHP in July 2008, after serving more than 10 years as chair, vice chair, and board member of the Capital Region’s leading not-for-profit health plan. During this time, CDPHP has been recognized as one of the top-rated plans in the nation, has been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York for 11 consecutive years, and has ranked “Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in New York” in the J.D. Power Member Health Plan Study for the third consecutive year.

Dr. Bennett is board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Internal Medicine, with subspecialties in internal medicine and cardiology. He earned his medical degree at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, and a Bachelor of Science degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Bennett completed an internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Albany Medical Center. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Bennett is currently board chair for the Center for Economic Growth and the New York eHealth Collaborative, and co-chair of the Palace Theatre board. He also serves on the boards of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, America’s Health Insurance Plans, and The Sage Colleges. Bennett is a member of the New York Public Health and Health Planning Council, a position he was appointed to by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

Well-known locally and nationally for advancing health care innovation, Dr. Bennett was recently named to the Tech Valley Business Hall of Fame.

Ms. Kathryn I. Murtagh ’87, Esq., is the Chief Compliance Officer and the Managing Director for Sustainable Investing of HMC, a subsidiary of Harvard University, providing investment management of the University’s endowment and related financial assets. Ms. Murtagh joined HMC in 2006.

As Chief Compliance Officer, Ms. Murtagh is responsible for regulatory and legal matters relating to HMC’s investment activities. In this capacity, she has extensive expertise in the structuring and implementation of various investment strategies including co-mingled funds, separately managed accounts, joint ventures, private REITS, and direct asset ownership.

As Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, Ms. Murtagh is responsible for designing and implementing HMC’s sustainable investing program across all asset classes. Ms. Murtagh developed HMC’s first sustainable investing policy and worked closely with Harvard University in its decision to become the first US endowment signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.

Ms. Murtagh was named a 2017 Leader in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for her innovative work in sustainable investing.

Prior to joining HMC, Ms. Murtagh was a partner in the Business Law Department of Goodwin Procter LLP, a national law firm based in Boston, MA.

Ms. Murtagh earned a B.S. in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a J.D. from Cornell Law School, where she served as Managing Editor of the Cornell Law Review.