Aram V. Chobanian (born August 10, 1929) served as president ''ad interim'' of

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

from 2003 until June 9, 2005, when, in recognition of Chobanian's work, the Board of Trustees voted to remove “ad interim” from his title and designate him the ninth president of Boston University. He had succeeded John Silber, who had reassumed the presidency on an interim basis after Jon Westling resigned to return to teaching. In September 2005, Chobanian was succeeded by Robert A. Brown as president of Boston University. Chobanian is the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Hypertension of the American Heart Association. A

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular ...

, Chobanian holds a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from Brown University and an

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

from

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. Before accepting the interim position in 2003, he was the

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Relationship with Armenia

Armenian-American Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenians, Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after A ...

, Chobanian is a member at the board of directors of the

Fund for Armenian Relief The Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) is a US humanitarian organization. It provides short-term emergency relief and long-term programs focusing on child protection, economic development, education, health care, and social services. FAR was founded i ...

. He has been involved in several programs to improve health care in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

. These have included the training of Armenian physicians, nurses, and other health professionals in emergency medicine,

trauma care Major trauma is any injury that has the potential to cause prolonged disability or death. There are many causes of major trauma, blunt and penetrating, including falls, motor vehicle collisions, stabbing wounds, and gunshot wounds. Depending ...

, and

health care management Health administration, healthcare administration, healthcare management or hospital management is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of public health systems, health care systems, hospitals, and hospital networks ...

; development of

medical residency Residency or postgraduate training is specifically a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician (one who holds the degree of MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB), veterinarian ( DVM or VMD) , dentist ( DDS or DMD) or podiatrist ( ...

and post-graduate educational programs in Armenia; establishment of a successful

medical student A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...

elective program for US medical students to spend one to two months in Armenian hospitals and clinics; and the provision of much-needed medical equipment, supplies, and medications to Armenia.Chobanian's profile
on the website of Fund for Armenian Relief Chobanian has been elected a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences of

.Chobanian's profile
on the website of National Academy of Sciences of RA He is the recipient of the Gold Medal from the

Yerevan State Medical University The Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU, hy, Երեվանի Մխիթար Հերացու անվան Պետական Բժշկական Համալսարան), is an Armenian medical university located in Yerevan, Armenia. History On ...

. Catholicos

Aram I Aram I ( hy, Արամ Ա. Քեշիշեան; born Bedros Keshishian 8 March 1947), has been the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia since 1995 and he resides in Antelias, Lebanon. Bibliography Aram I has written the followin ...

recently bestowed the St. Mesrob-Mashtots Medal on Chobanian.

References

External links

Official BiographyBoard of Directors, Fund for Armenian Relief
1929 births People from Pawtucket, Rhode Island American people of Armenian descent Living people Presidents of Boston University Harvard Medical School alumni Brown University alumni {{US-academic-administrator-1920s-stub