ENG Alum Is One of Five New BU Trustees
Abhijit Kulkarni (ENG’93,’97) has developed advanced medical devices
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.
One of the new trustees is a BU College of Engineering alumnus. Abhijit R. Kulkarni (ENG’93,’97) 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.
The other new trustees include BU alumni and former Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust.