Remembering Steven E. Rhoads, Former Board Member of NeW

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Steven E. Rhoads, Former Board Member of the Network of enlightened Women. 

“Professor Rhoads was a champion of the first NeW chapter at the University of Virginia and later a Board Member of the national organization. He was a professor, mentor, and friend to me and NeW. He advocated fiercely for women through helping them to better understand sex differences and that there is more to life than careers,” said NeW President, Karin Lips. “He will be deeply missed.” 

Professor Rhoads was a distinguished scholar and educator who taught public policy in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia for more than thirty years. He was the author of Taking Sex Differences Seriously, The Economist’s View of the World, and Incomparable Worth: Pay Equity Meets the Market, and his thoughtful essays appeared in outlets including The New York Times, The Public Interest, and The Los Angeles Times. 

A graduate of Princeton University, where he earned his A.B. degree cum laude in 1961, Professor Rhoads later earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1972, with a concentration in American government and political theory. His work was recognized through fellowships from the Bradley, Earhart, Olin, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Sloan Foundations. 

We are grateful for Professor Rhoads’ intellectual rigor, generosity of spirit, and lasting contributions to the mission of NeW. His influence as a scholar, mentor, and board member will be felt for years to come. 

We express our deepest condolences to Professor Rhoads’ family and friends as they navigate this difficult time.