At the Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association on May 27, seven alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards, and one Outstanding Service Award was presented, along with the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award. Robert G. McKelvey ’59 (front row, far left) received special recognition for his many years of service, leadership, and generosity: Wesleyan’s historic College Row lawn was dedicated as McKelvey Green. Also pictured are (front row, l. to r., following McKelvey): Donna S. Morea ’76, P’06, chair of the Board of Trustees; Distinguished Alumni Nicholas J. Rasmussen ’87, Amy Schulman ’82, P’11, Isaac O. Shongwe ’87, and McConaughy Memorial Award recipient Matthew H. Weiner ’87 P’18. Back Row, Distinguished Alumni Santi “Santigold” White ’97 and Michele A. Roberts ’77; President Michael S. Roth ’78; Distinguished Alumnus Robert L. Allbritton ’92; Outstanding Service award-winner Rick Nicita ’67, Distinguished Alumnus Tos Chirathivat ’85, P’14, ’17, and Chair of the Alumni Association Tracey K. Gardner ’96.
President Roth congratulates Distinguished Alumnus Robert Allbritton ’92, cofounder, executive chairman, and publisher of POLITICO, a global nonpartisan politics and policy news organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in New York and throughout Europe. Wesleyan’s Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life was established in 2007 with a generous gift from Mr. Allbritton, his wife, Dr. Elena Allbritton ’93, and a family foundation established by Mr. Allbritton’s parents, Joe L. and Barbara B. Allbritton.Distinguished alumnus Isaac O. Shongwe ’87 is founder and chairman of Letsema Holdings, the first and leading black-owned and black-managed consulting firm in South Africa. He is founder and chairman of the Aspen Global Leadership Initiative’s African Leadership Initiative (ALI) and recently founded the Young ALI to focus on leadership development of fellows between the ages of 25 and 35.Amy Schulman ’82, P’11 is an accomplished business leader, widely recognized for growing global businesses, demonstrating a commitment to people, and fostering inclusive workplace cultures. She joined Polaris Partners’ Boston office as a healthcare venture partner in 2014, simultaneously assuming the role of CEO of Arsia Therapeutics, a Polaris-backed company which was acquired by Eagle Parmaceuticals in 2016. In 2105, she cofounded Lyndra, where she is CEO. She is a former executive vice president and general counsel for Pfizer, Inc., where she led Pfizer’s $4 billion Consumer Healthcare business.
Tos Chirathivat ’85, P’14, ’17 is executive chairman and CEO of Central Group, one of the largest family-held conglomerates in Southeast Asia. With revenues at US$9.3 billion in 2016, Central Group is at the forefront of Thailand’s service industries, including retail, real estate development, and hospitality.Michele A. Roberts ’77 is the first woman to head a major professional sports union in North America. In her role as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), she serves as the primary advocate for all players, ensuring the protection of the organization and its membership, including serving as the lead negotiator in all collective bargaining activities between the NBPA and the NBA that will go into effect this summer and run through the 2023–24 season.Santi “Santigold” White ’97 released in 2008 her outspoken, vibrant self-titled debut album featuring the singles “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Creator,” both takedowns about authenticity that won praise from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork alike. She is the recipient of the ASCAP Vanguard Award and the NME Best Breakthrough Artist award, and has received nominations for the Q, MTV Europe Music, and BRIT awards.Nicholas J. Rasmussen ’87 is the director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), a role he has held since 2014, after having been the NCTC’s deputy director since 2012. Earlier he served with the National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism, where he was responsible for providing staff support to President Obama, the National Security Advisor, and the Homeland Security Advisor.Rick Nicita ’67 was honored with the Outstanding Service Award. He is a producer and consultant to the entertainment industry whose latest projects include the 2016 Academy Award-nominated film Hacksaw Ridge. A Wesleyan trustee emeritus, he has mentored and hired dozens of Wesleyan students and young alumni over the years, and for more than 25 years he has hosted an annual event in Los Angeles for Wesleyan alumni and parents in the entertainment industry.Matthew H. Weiner ’87, P’18 received the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award. Weiner is a nine-time Emmy Award-winner for Mad Men, on which he served as creator, executive producer, writer and director. Mad Men became one of television’s most honored shows, receiving a total of 116 Emmy nominations during its eight-season run. His forthcoming debut novel, Heather, The Totality, is a dark fable set in contemporary Manhattan.
WUSA awards are presented to volunteers who have given sustained service to Wesleyan over time or who have given significant service in a specific area such as admission, career resources, fundraising, reunion planning, regional programs, or class notes.
2017 WUSA RECIPIENTS
William Riess ’57
Kenneth Travis ’57, P’85
Philip Calhoun ’62, MALS’69, P’86
James Gately ’62
Michael Feagley ’67
Arthur Gingrande, Jr. ’67
Robert Pawlowski ’67
Robert P. vom Eigen ’67
Donald Ryan ’77, P’14
Joseph Barrett IV ’82, P’12
Stephanie Griffith ’82
Rachel Hines ’82, P’18
Alana Winter ’82
Bradley Lubin ’87, P’20
Ira Skolnik ’87
Marvin Cabrera ’92
Heather Corcoran ’92
David Kane ’92
C. Andrew McGadney ’92
Kimberly King ’97
David Levin ’97
Ying-Hai Xie ’97
Kerry Holahan ’02
Hyungsoo Kim ’02, MA’03
THE WUSA for Graduates of the Last Decade is presented to volunteers who have given sustained service to Wesleyan in the first 10 years after graduation, or who have given significant service in a specific area such as admission, career resources, fundraising, Reunion planning, regional programs, or class notes in their 10th reunion year or earlier.
Jared Ashe ’07
Liam McAlpine ’07
Victoria Pinsky ’07
Raghu Appasani ’12
Ali Chaudhry ’12
Peter Kim Frank ’12
Dana Levy ’12
Daisey Perez ’12
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield