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Gelvina Rodriguez Stevenson is truly her parent’s daughter. Rodriguez Stevenson serves as the general counsel, corporate secretary, and VP of government relations of The Wistar Institute, an international leader in biomedical research renowned for its expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Her work at The Wistar Institute and her path to get there can be traced back to her parents’ careers and the mission-oriented perspectives they modeled for her.
“My parents are both social activists, and our home was always just focused on ideas of social justice,” explains Rodriguez Stevenson. Adding, “It’s been a big part of our life, community, and sense of giving back.”
Growing up in South Bronx with a sociologist mother who studies and publishes about the Latino community and a father who is an environmental economist, Rodriguez Stevenson chose an educational and career path that made space for all parts of herself.
“I loved that combination of law and public policy and was always drawn to working in ways that I could give back and have a positive impact on society.”
Gelvina Rodriguez Stevenson
Rodriguez Stevenson is a graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School, New York University’s undergraduate program, and New York University’s School of Law. While in law school, she took advantage of a program NYU had with Princeton University and pursued a joint degree in law and public policy.
“I loved that combination of law and public policy and was always drawn to working in ways that I could give back and have a positive impact on society,” says Rodriguez Stevenson.
During the beginning of her career, fresh out of law school, Rodriguez Stevenson’s roles overlapped with the healthcare sector in a way that made it clear to her where she wanted to take the rest of her career.
“I worked for the New York City Council, the legislative branch of city government, and was assigned to the health committee and had an opportunity to work on laws that impacted the everyday lives of people in New York,” the executive says. “For me, that was like, ‘Wow, this is an area of the law where you’re really having a positive impact on people and society.’ That was my moment. I thought, ‘This is where I want to be.’”
Blending Science, Law, and Leadership
Rodriguez Stevenson’s “AHA” moment clarified how she could align her sense of purpose with her next roles. She spent eight years as the associate university counsel at Weill Cornell Medical College and then nine years as an associate general counsel at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before taking on her latest role at the Wistar Institute.
“At Wistar, I get to lead the legal function, which is wonderful,” explains Rodriguez Stevenson. “Wistar had always been on my radar as this incredibly strong and well-regarded organization with an impeccable reputation. So many cures, vaccines, and treatments have come out of Wistar that have changed the course of health care, so when this opportunity came up, I was incredibly excited, and it was exactly in my area.”
At Wistar, Rodriguez Stevenson combines her passion and expertise in healthcare, justice work, and law. Every day, she’s able to effect change by ensuring that science and healthcare experts can do their job while she manages the legal details that support their work.
“Wistar had always been on my radar as this incredibly strong and well-regarded organization with an impeccable reputation. So many cures, vaccines, and treatments have come out of Wistar that have changed the course of health care, so when this opportunity came up, I was incredibly excited, and it was exactly in my area.”
Gelvina Rodriguez Stevenson
A part of her job is also creating a culture where others can feel as empowered as she does in effecting change and advancing The Wistar Institute’s goals.
“I’ve adapted a leadership style that I’ve observed from people who I’ve worked for and just observed in other professional settings—it’s described as servant leadership, where you really do focus on what those on your team need,” she says. “The folks who work in my office are incredible, and so are my clients, so I want to make sure that I’m listening to what they need. How do they want to grow? Where do they want to go? What learning opportunities do they want? It is my job to make sure that they have those opportunities and the resources they need to get there.”
Turning Agency into Effective Mentorship
Rodriguez Stevenson has formed a habit of carving space for others to thrive. Her parents served as her first mentors, and, whenever she was able to, Rodriguez Stevenson took up the baton to serve as the mentor for others.
In addition to supporting her team, Rodriguez Stevenson has cast her net wide while at Wistar. She is also an active supporter of Wistar’s programs that support students interested in STEM and create a diverse pipeline of future leaders in the space.
Her work with the STEM pipeline programs is an extension of her participation and work within dedicated mentorship programs, like those that exist within NYU Law’s Alumni of Color Association (LACA) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).
“I think the mentor gets as much out of a relationship as the mentee. Now that I’m in a mentoring role as well, I’ve learned that I wasn’t bugging my mentors all those years, that they liked and enjoyed mentoring, and it was meaningful to them.”
Gelvina Rodriguez Stevenson
She credits those organizations with helping her find some of her most effective mentors.
“I think the mentor gets as much out of a relationship as the mentee,” explains Rodriguez Stevenson. “Now that I’m in a mentoring role as well, I’ve learned that I wasn’t bugging my mentors all those years, that they liked and enjoyed mentoring, and it was meaningful to them.”
Rodriguez Stevenson encourages anyone looking for a mentor to take initiative and join groups that have already established mentorship frameworks within their organization’s purpose, like LACA and the HNBA.
Rodriguez Stevenson adds, “Be very open about your challenges. You’re talking to someone who’s really just there to help you and support you. This is how I view my relationship with my mentees too. I’m going to be very honest and open about challenges and things I thought I did well and didn’t do well and share those failures with them as well.”
And if those specific spaces don’t exist for you yet, take initiative in forming them. A few years ago, Rodriguez Stevenson helped lead the charge in forming the Health Law Section of the Hispanic National Bar Association.
“It’s so hard to find other Latino and Latina lawyers working in healthcare, whether they’re in hospitals or pharmaceutical companies,” she says. “Forming this committee has really provided an opportunity for us to identify others in this space. We’ve grown into this wonderful community of Latina, Latino lawyers, and students who are interested in health law. I feel like we’re really creating that community of people who can help each other, who are working in the health care industry, facing the same challenges, and can share opportunities and support each other.”
