Boston University Trustees Elect Five New Members
Drew Gilpin Faust (clockwise from top left), Sung Wan Kim (Questrom’96), Katerina Katopis-Lykiardopulo (CAS’91), Abhijit R. Kulkarni (ENG’93,’97), and Demir Sabancı (CAS’93). Photos courtesy of Boston University Office of the Trustees
Boston University Trustees Elect Five New Members
Four accomplished alumni and a former Harvard president add to the board’s expertise
Boston University trustees elected five new members to the board—four alumni and a former Harvard president—at their September 17 meeting. The newcomers deepen the board’s already significant expertise in higher education, business, technology, and healthcare.
“Our new trustees are outstanding leaders in their fields,” says Ahmass Fakahany (Questrom’79), board chair. “They bring deep experience and insight from academia, from the life sciences, and from global business and entrepreneurship, together with a profound commitment to Boston University’s future. Their perspectives will further strengthen the board’s work in support of the University’s continued advance toward global eminence. We are delighted to welcome them.”
“We are so pleased that these esteemed new leaders have joined our board,” President Melissa Gilliam says. “They bring important perspectives and a wealth of leadership experience in their areas of expertise. I look forward to collaborating with them as we work toward our North Star vision of becoming a global destination for discovery, learning, and human connection.”
At its meeting, the board also elected Rod Hochman (CAMED’79, CAS’79) as a vice chair, succeeding Malek Sukkar (ENG’92), who has left the board after a decade of service.
Below are biographies of the new trustees. The first three joined the board in September; the others will begin their service in December.
Drew Gilpin Faust
Faust, Harvard’s Arthur Kingsley Porter University Research Professor, was the first woman appointed president of Harvard, in 2007. She served in that role until 2018. A noted historian of the Civil War and American South, she wrote the critically acclaimed 2008 book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, about how soldiers and society grappled with the war’s staggering carnage. The book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and inspired a PBS documentary.
As Harvard’s president, Faust oversaw a campaign that raised $9.6 billion, a third more than its initial goal. The money enabled the creation of 142 endowed chairs and raised $1.3 billion for financial aid.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a recipient of the Library of Congress Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity and a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Society of American Historians.
Abhijit R. Kulkarni (ENG’93,’97)
A biomedical engineer, Kulkarni has developed implantable medical devices and therapies that restore hearing and treat neurological conditions.
Kulkarni is an executive in residence at Engine Ventures, where he evaluates investments and works with founders of early-stage technology companies. He was COO of Cellino Bio in Cambridge, Mass., from 2022 until 2026, overseeing the development of an autonomous, laser-guided platform that makes patient-derived stem cells for personalized, regenerative therapy at scale. Earlier, Kulkarni oversaw the development of first-in-class products and therapies as a global vice president at Medtronic, the Ireland- and Minneapolis-based health technology maker. From 2004 to 2017, he worked at the cochlear implant maker Advanced Bionics, rising to global vice president of research, development, and technology.
Kulkarni served on the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board and earned master’s and doctoral degrees at ENG. His graduate research into hearing and hearing impairment shaped virtual acoustic space simulation (the use of computer models to recreate how sound waves travel through space and reach a listener’s ears). He is married to Reshma Kewalramani (CAMED’98, CAS’98, Hon.’26), president and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals and BU’s 2026 All-University Commencement speaker. Together, they have endowed Kulkarni-Kewalramani Distinguished PhD Fellowships at ENG and BU’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and ENG’s H. Steven and Theodora Colburn Distinguished Lecture Series in Biomedical Engineering.
Demir Sabancı (CAS’93)
Sabancı is founder, chair, and president of Istanbul-based Sedes Holding A.S., an alternative investment management firm that invests in global and Turkish firms that meet international standards for leadership and sustainable growth potential. Particular industries include retail, plastic packaging, real estate, logistics, and personal care. It is the parent company of Turkey’s largest consumer goods retail chain and of Sedesco, Inc., which has real estate assets in New York City.
Sabancı has also been an executive with Toyota and Mitsui & Co., one of Japan’s leading trading houses. He founded Teknosa, a pioneering electronics retail chain in Turkey, and is a philanthropist with the Turkish Health & Educational Foundation.
In addition to his College of Arts & Sciences bachelor’s degree, he received MBAs from Cornell and Carnegie Mellon. Sabancı has served on the CAS Dean’s Advisory Board. A 2021 gift established the college’s Sabancı Experiential Learning in the Humanities Fund, supporting undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees or coursework in humanities at CAS and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Sung Wan Kim (Questrom’96)
Kim is the chief executive officer of Smoothie King, the world’s largest smoothie brand and the first health and fitness fast-casual brand of its kind, with more than 1,300 locations across the US. His connection to Smoothie King began in 2003, when he became the brand’s first international franchisee and opened a store in South Korea. Over the next five years, he helped grow the brand to more than 130 locations across the country.
In 2012, Kim purchased Smoothie King from its founders, Steve and Cindy Kuhnau. In 2018, he moved the company’s headquarters to Dallas, where it is based today.
Throughout his time with Smoothie King, Kim has remained focused on the brand’s purpose and its mission to inspire people to lead healthy and active lifestyles. Having been a guest, franchisee, and now CEO, he has seen the brand from many different perspectives. Those experiences have helped shape how he thinks about Smoothie King and its role in the lives of its guests, franchisees, and communities.
In August 2024, Kim opened Nuri, an Asian steakhouse in Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood. The restaurant is a reflection of the places and experiences that have influenced him over the years, bringing together flavors and inspiration from South Korea, New Orleans, and Dallas.
Kim lives in Dallas with his family.
Katerina Katopis-Lykiardopulo (CAS’91)
Katopis-Lykiardopulo chairs BU’s International Advisory Board. A hospitality consultant, she is also the cofounder of Cycladic, an airline connecting the Greek islands. She began her career in tourism as general manager of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and as an advisor to the Hellenic Center for Investment. She later helped introduce branded residences to Greece and has worked on resort developments in the Caribbean, Central America, and Asia.
Katopis-Lykiardopulo is also a photographer. She took the photographs for Greek Islands, published by Assouline in 2022, and her most recent book is about Thessaloniki. From 2018 to 2024, she served on the Marketing Committee of the Hellenic Olympic Committee. She currently serves on the Board of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex.
Born in Thessaloniki, Katopis-Lykiardopulo has a master’s degree in European studies from the London School of Economics.