New Members Appointed to AUA Board of Trustees

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YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to the AUA Board of Trustees: Vartkess Ara Apkarian, Jean Manuel Bullukian, and Lusine Poghosyan.

The Board of Trustees serves as a crucial part of the growth and development of the University, and together, the members’ combined experience and efforts help guide AUA in making strategic decisions that will continue to lead the University toward a path of longevity and sustained commitment to academic excellence. The members of the Board help shape AUA’s policies, ensure the University’s financial health, and maintain its position as a premier institution of higher education in Armenia. The newly appointed members bring diverse expertise and fresh perspectives, further enhancing the University’s path to advancement, innovation, and growth.

Vartkess Ara Apkarian

Vartkess Ara Apkarian is a distinguished professor emeritus of chemical physics at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Southern California and a doctorate from Northwestern University. After completing his postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University, he joined the UCI faculty in 1983.

Dr. Apkarian has played a key role in shaping interdisciplinary research and education at UCI. In 1997, he co-founded the Chemical, Applied and Materials Physics graduate program, a cross-disciplinary initiative that has been adopted by multiple institutions as a model for training doctoral students to address modern scientific challenges. He served as department chair from 2003 to 2007 and was director of the National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation on Chemistry at the Space-Time Limit from 2007 to 2019.

A fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr. Apkarian has been widely recognized for his contributions to photophysics, molecular and quantum dynamics on ultrafast time scales, and for advancing the atomic limit in optical microscopy. His research, which integrates experiments and theory, has been published in more than 200 peer-reviewed journals.

Among his honors are the Humboldt Prize (1996), the American Chemical Society Award in Experimental Physical Chemistry (2014), and an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland (2016). He is also a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Dr. Apkarian is a director of the Apkarian Foundation, which established an annual named scholarship, as well as the Apkarian Foundation Endowed Scholarship to provide ongoing support for AUA students.  

Jean Manuel Bullukian

Jean Manuel Bullukian is a seasoned CEO and business strategist with a strong track record of leading Fortune 500 companies, unicorn startups, and private equity-backed firms in the business services and SaaS industries. He has guided large multinational organizations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, driving growth and operational excellence in highly competitive markets.

Bullukian began his career at The Mac Group before becoming a managing partner at Gemini Consulting, where he led global transformation programs for governments and major corporations. He later led Capgemini Transformation Consulting, helping position it among the top-tier management consulting firms.

As CEO of Ajilon, a division of The Adecco Group, he drove consistent industry-leading growth across the United States, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, while implementing educational programs to enhance the professional development of 65,000 employees. As managing director at Alvarez & Marsal, he restructured a major European defense supplier, strengthening its market position.

As Asia-Pacific CEO for ISS Facility Management, Bullukian doubled the region’s revenue in two years, overseeing a workforce of 185,000 employees. He introduced workplace safety and educational initiatives, reinforcing the company’s commitment to operational excellence and employee development.

In 2019, he joined Ivalua Inc. as a commercial executive for the Americas and Asia-Pacific before launching Ad Crescere, a firm specializing in board and CEO advisory services for business services, SaaS, and AI platforms. He is currently chairman of Paradigm Shift Media, a news, media, and entertainment group.

Bullukian has served on multiple boards, including a private equity-backed procurement solutions company and a publicly traded firm specializing in energy efficiency and healthcare consumables. He holds a Master of Science in management from ESSEC Business School, one of Europe’s leading business institutions.

With his wife, Bullukian has also established the Solange & Jean-Manuel Bullukian Scholarship in support of AUA students. 

Lusine Poghosyan

Lusine Poghosyan is the Stone Foundation and Elise D. Fish professor of nursing at Columbia University and a professor of health policy and management. She is an internationally recognized health services researcher with expertise in primary care organizations, healthcare workforce development, and improving patient outcomes — particularly for individuals with chronic diseases and those in underserved communities.

Dr. Poghosyan is the executive director of the Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Innovation, which conducts groundbreaking research on healthcare systems and service delivery. Her work is funded by major federal agencies, including the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Institute on Aging.

A leader in shaping healthcare policy, Dr. Poghosyan has served as chair of the Primary Care Expert Panel at the American Academy of Nursing and is a board member of Academy Health. She has received numerous accolades for her contributions to nursing and health services research, including the International Nurse Research Hall of Fame Award from Sigma Theta Tau International and the American Nurses Foundation Scholar Award.

Dr. Poghosyan is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine. She holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in public health from AUA.

She has also supported AUA’s campaigns and directly participated in various initiatives within the AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.