Three New Members Join Board of Trustees

The voters have spoken and elected three new members to serve on the University’s Board of Trustees, effective July 1. The trustees are Adam Hodge ’04, Ellen Paik ’16, and Gao-Wen Shao ’86.  

Elected by their fellow alumni, including graduating seniors, each of the new trustees will serve a three-year term. They will join a 36-member board that is responsible for ensuring the University fulfills its mission, sustains its values, and appropriately balances its obligations to current and future generations. Wesleyan is unique among its peer institutions in that one-quarter of the board is elected by the alumni body. 

Hodge looks forward to giving back to his alma mater, where he said he formed his deepest friendships and honed critical thinking skills that have served him well in his work and life. “Wesleyan was fundamental to my entire career,” said Hodge, who is a managing director at Bully Pulpit International, where he provides strategic communications support to a broad range of corporate, advocacy, and non-profit clients.  

To his role as trustee, Hodge, who majored in government, plans to draw on experience which includes serving as senior director for press and spokesperson at the National Security Council and as an assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs. “I look forward and hope I can bring some of my experience thinking about how institutions have to communicate in a rapidly changing environment to break through and to navigate and deal with incredibly complex and intense issues,” he said.  

Among his goals, Hodge said he wants to enhance the way the university communicates with students and ground his efforts in the same independent, critical thinking he learned at Wesleyan, pursuing knowledge without bias or favor. “It's an exciting time, a lot of opportunity, a lot of challenges, but there is no better time to try to make a difference,” he said. 

The wide range of interests and experiences among her classmates at Wesleyan has been an inspiration for Paik, she said. She was also struck by the lengths to which Wesleyan students would go to show up for one another, even outside of their personal interests. “Wesleyan offers an environment that encourages people to explore all aspects of their personhood. For me, this culture challenged me to think creatively about the ways that I can bring my interests together and align the various themes in my life, even if there aren't pre-existing pathways or routes to do so,” she said. 

Paik, who majored in economics and sociology at Wesleyan, aims to bring her experience in investment banking, non-profit management, and real estate to the board. She hopes to help manage the challenges of federal intervention in higher education and work to maintain academic freedom; protect diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and represent early career alumni on the board. “I don't want the work that I do to be defined by my identity background. However, as someone that believes that diverse perspectives help generate the most innovative ideas, I hope to always represent and advocate for identity groups that have been historically underrepresented and whose voices play an invaluable role in creating better paths forward,” Paik said. 

Shao’s work on the board will be a continuation of her long-standing commitment to Wesleyan. Over the years, she has served as reunion chair, class agent, head of the Boston Alumni Club, and on national committees, including the President’s Council, among other roles. Her experience as a student motivated her to contribute. “The importance of giving back gets into your bloodstream at Wesleyan,” she said. 

As a trustee, Shao will contribute both her dedication to community service and decades of experience in financial services and management consulting. Her resume includes positions at well-known financial institutions such as Fidelity Investments, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Bank of New England/Fleet Bank. “One of the things I want to make sure that I am bringing to the board is helping it to consider the full implications of decisions,” she said. As a retiree and member of non-profit boards, she would like to serve as a bridge between trustees with different backgrounds and expertise. To decision making, she can bring both business acumen and the perspective of “here's what it will mean for the community,” she said. 

Attacks on colleges and universities also motivate Shao. “It affects far more than higher education,” she said. “It affects jobs and careers for many people as well as science and medical research going forward.” 

Mike Mavredakis contributed to this article.