BRISTOL – Heather Boujoulian, a Roger Williams University alum and managing director and head of development at Boston-based real estate firm Berkshire Residential Investments, has made history with her alma mater.
The university announced Thursday that Boujoulian has been appointed as the new chairperson for RWU’s board of trustees. She becomes the first woman in the history of RWU to lead its board of trustees.
Boujoulian makes similar history at RWU as what D. Ellen Wilson did when she was
named board chairperson at Bryant University in Smithfield back in January. Boujoulian immediately succeeds Tim Yeaton, who led RWU’s board since 2022. Yeaton has retired from the board.
“I am honored to take on this role at such a transformative time for Roger Williams University,” Boujoulian said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with the administration, faculty, and students to continue advancing RWU’s vision of providing high-quality, accessible education that prepares students to be global citizens and leaders.”
RWU says Boujoulian, who graduated from RWU in 1997, has served as a university trustee since 2020. She has also served on the university’s construction management professional advisory board, the real estate advisory board and is also a past president of the RWU Alumni Association. In her new role leading the board of trustees, Boujoulian, RWU says, will lead efforts to support the university’s strategic priorities.
Among those priorities are expanding access to education and strengthening commitment to interdisciplinary educational offerings and programs in real estate, RWU says. University President Ioannis N. Miaoulis said in a statement that Boujoulian “brings a powerful combination of strategic expertise and a deep commitment to social equity, which will help us shape the future of higher education at RWU.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.