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Emory University Board of Trustees elects new chair-elect
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Sylvia Carson

Adam Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory College in 1992 and a medical degree from Emory School of Medicine in 1996. He was elected to the Emory University Board of Trustees in 2012 and will become board chair in September 2027.

The Emory University Board of Trustees has elected Dr. Adam H. Rogers to serve as chair-elect and vice chair of the board. Rogers, who has served as a trustee since 2012, will serve as vice chair until Sept. 17, 2027, when he officially succeeds Robert C. Goddard III as board chair. Goddard will retire at that time, after serving as chair since 2017 and as a trustee since 2008.

“Adam Rogers is an accomplished physician, business executive and longtime Emory leader whose deep commitment to academic excellence will serve the university exceptionally well,” says Emory Interim President Leah Ward Sears. “As an Emory College and School of Medicine alumnus and dedicated trustee, Adam understands both the history and the promise of this institution. As chair-elect, he will play a vital role in helping the university build on its momentum and advance our mission of education, discovery and service. I am thankful for Bob Goddard’s continued leadership and look forward to partnering with them both as Emory enters its next chapter.”

Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 1992 and a medical degree from Emory School of Medicine in 1996. He was elected to the Emory University Board of Trustees in 2012 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as chair of the board’s Academic Affairs Committee. He is also a member of the Campus Life, Finance and Presidential Selection committees.

Rogers also serves on the board of One Family, a Boston-based nonprofit, and is a board member of the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation. A board-certified ophthalmologist, Rogers is president, chief executive officer and board chair of NervGen Pharma and has more than 15 years of experience advancing novel therapies for diseases with significant unmet medical need.

In 2010, Rogers co-founded Hemera Biosciences, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on dry age-related macular degeneration. He became CEO in 2017 and led the company through development of its lead program, HMR59, now JNJ-1887, until its acquisition by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, in December 2020.

“I am grateful for the confidence my fellow trustees have placed in me,” Rogers says. “I join with Interim President Sears in expressing my appreciation to Bob Goddard for his steady leadership and dedication over the past several years. Thanks in part to his commitment, Emory is a remarkable institution with a strong foundation, and I look forward to working with the board and university leadership to support its continued success.”

Goddard and Rogers will work together to ensure a smooth transition of board leadership in fall 2027.


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