Creating a Legacy Through an IRA— Richard J. Rodrick ’68

Family and friends alike describe Richard J. Rodrick ’68 as a lifelong learner and perpetual student. Originally from Jersey City, Richard received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) in 1968. Inspired to extend his classroom experience and to satisfy his curiosity about the world around him, Richard also received a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a J.D. from Seton Hall School of Law.

Richard’s educational background and professional credentials prepared him for a lengthy and accomplished career in intellectual property law. Richard served as Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Becton Dickinson before moving to Wisconsin to serve as General Patent Counsel at SC Johnson.

Foundational to his identity was Richard’s appreciation of the transformative power of education. To pay tribute to his time at NCE, Richard established the Richard J. Rodrick ’68 Engineering Scholarship to benefit outstanding female students who are pursuing engineering degrees through the Newark College of Engineering. As an endowed fund, the Rodrick Scholarship will exist in perpetuity at NJIT, providing scholarship support for generations to come.

Initially created during his lifetime, the Rodrick Scholarship grew exponentially through an estate gift utilizing Richard’s individual retirement account (IRA). By naming NJIT as beneficiary of his IRA, Richard increased his scholarship’s endowment and the annual awards available for NJIT’s talented engineering students.

To learn more about including an IRA in your estate plan, please contact Beth Kornstein, Associate Vice President of Leadership & Planned Gifts, at bkornste@njit.edu or 973.596.8548.