Graduate & PhD Convocation Ceremony Program for the Class of 2025

Convocation Speakers

Susan Fournier
Allen Questrom Professor and Dean
Professor, Marketing

Susan Fournier joined the faculty at Boston University Questrom School of Business in 2005 as an Associate Professor of Marketing and Dean’s Research Fellow. In the ensuing years, she advanced through the faculty ranks and was named Questrom Professor in Management in 2013. She has been an influential member of the community in her varied roles as an educator, researcher, and administrator.

As Questrom’s first academic dean in over 40 years, Susan has the benefit of an inside perspective. She brings a wealth of personal experience in academia with over 24 years in the Undergrad, MBA and Executive classrooms of Harvard Business School, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and Questrom. She is a celebrated professor who designed and delivered one of Questrom’s Top 10 MBA electives. She recently served as Senior Associate Dean of Faculty & Research, and was a prior Faculty Director of the Questrom MBA and Doctoral programs. She is an award-winning researcher with an in-depth knowledge of the research and publication enterprises, what it takes to produce “research that matters,” how to bring that knowledge into the classroom, and what it takes to translate academic research for the most significant impact on practice—facets critical to understand in the pursuit of creating value for the world.

Susan is also the first woman dean at Questrom, marking a significant moment in our history. She is “looking forward to a time when this descriptor is not considered a unique attribute.” Of equal importance, Susan is a first-generation college student. This status gives her meaningful insight as Questrom continues to focus on diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the School’s life.

Barbara Bickart is Senior Associate Dean of Programs and Associate Professor of Marketing at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. She oversees the Questrom undergraduate program and all residential graduate programs, including the Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, specialty MS programs, the PhD program, and Graduate Admissions. She previously served as Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, Faculty Director of the MBA program and chair of the Marketing Department. Her research was one of the first to demonstrate the persuasive impact of consumer-generated content on social media relative to marketer-generated content. Her work has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Interactive Marketing. She has served on the Editorial Review Boards of top marketing journals, as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Marketing and Public Policy, and as President of the Journal of Consumer Research Policy Board. She teaches courses on marketing and leadership communications and designed a popular open online course on Strategic Social Media Marketing, which was offered on the edX platform. Barb earned her PhD in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a graduate of the HERS Leadership Institute.

Sarah Abdelwahab
MBA Candidate, Class of 2025

Sarah Abdelwahab is graduating with high honors with an MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. A former physician, Sarah transitioned to research leadership at Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute at the start of the program, where she oversaw multiple oncology research teams, including the cellular therapy program. At Questrom, she brought her unique perspective as a physician-researcher to the classroom while actively engaging with her Online MBA peers.

During her MBA, Sarah was appointed Executive Medical Director at Abeona Therapeutics, where she leads the medical team and recently oversaw the launch of new therapeutics. Passionate about bridging the gap between medicine and business, she will continue in her role to support a successful medical launch and strategic growth for the company.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys hiking, tennis, reading, and discovering new bubble tea shops—recommendations are always welcome!

Julien McCluney
BSBA ’02, MBA ’09

Julien McCluney is an accomplished brand marketing executive with a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and brand transformation across leading consumer goods companies. She currently serves as Vice President of Brand Management at Newell Brands, where she leads the Kitchen division, overseeing a portfolio of iconic household names including Rubbermaid, Calphalon, Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, and Ball. In this role, she is responsible for brand strategy, product innovation, and business performance across multiple categories within a multibillion-dollar segment.

Prior to joining Newell, Julien spent 14 years at Hasbro, where she held progressively senior leadership roles and spearheaded brand storytelling, franchise development, and global marketing initiatives. Her strategic and creative leadership earned her recognition as one of Mojo Nation’s Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the Toy and Game Industry in 2022.

Julien is widely regarded for her ability to revitalize legacy brands, champion consumer-centric innovation, and lead cross-functional teams through complex business challenges. Her impact in the Consumer Packaged Goods sector was further acknowledged with the Brand Innovators Women in Marketing: Industry Innovation Award.

She holds both an MBA and a BSBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, underscoring her strong foundation in business strategy, financial acumen, and organizational leadership. Known for her collaborative leadership style and passion for storytelling, Julien continues to inspire teams and transform brands with purpose-driven strategies, cultural relevance, and operational excellence.