Kenan Sahin
Encyclopedia
Kenan Eyup Sahin is a Turkish
scientist and entrepreneur in the United States
.
After graduating from Robert College
of Istanbul
, he received both his B.S. (1963) and Ph.D.
degrees (1968) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and then taught on the faculties of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University
, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst
until 1985.
In 1982, Sahin founded Kenan Systems with a $1,000 personal investment and no outside funding, a company that grew to employ more than 900 people by 1999. In 1999 Kenan Systems was acquired by Lucent Technologies
. He then became President of Lucent's Software Products Group and Vice President of Software Technology at Bell Labs
,. In December 2000, Sahin left Lucent, and in late 2001, Lucent sold the assets of the former Kenan Systems to CSG Systems for US$300 million In 2002, Kenan took over the Technology & Innovation business of Arthur D. Little
, a consulting firm which was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts
in 1886 and transformed it into TIAX
, a leading technology development company. Under Sahin's leadership, TIAX is a laboratory-based technology development company headquartered in Lexington, MA with non-laboratory offices in Cupertino and Irvine, CA.
In November 1999, Dr. Sahin donated $100 million to his alma mater, MIT, in an unrestricted gift. The gift was the largest ever received by MIT and one of the largest in higher education at that time.
Dr. Sahin was chosen by the World Economic Forum as one of its 40 Technology Pioneers for 2003 and received the New England Business and Technology’s first “Circle of Excellence” award in 2004.
In 2006, Sahin was selected as the recipient of the 29th Annual Golden Door Award by the International Institute of Boston
Dr. Sahin serves, or has served on, numerous non-profit boards, including those of the Council on Competitiveness (CoC), MIT (for whom he is a life member), Argonne National Laboratory, the Boston Museum of Science, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Symphony, and the American Field Service. He is also on the Steering Committee of the CoC’s Energy Security, Innovation & Sustainability Initiative; and on the External Advisory Board of MIT’s Energy Initiative.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
scientist and entrepreneur in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
After graduating from Robert College
Robert College
Robert College of Istanbul , is one of the most selective independent private high schools in Turkey. Robert College is a co-educational, boarding school with a wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul between the two bridges on the Bosphorus, with the Arnavutköy district to the east, and...
of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, he received both his B.S. (1963) and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees (1968) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) and then taught on the faculties of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
until 1985.
In 1982, Sahin founded Kenan Systems with a $1,000 personal investment and no outside funding, a company that grew to employ more than 900 people by 1999. In 1999 Kenan Systems was acquired by Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies
Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc., originally Lucent Technologies, Inc. is a French-owned technology company composed of what was formerly AT&T Technologies, which included Western Electric and Bell Labs...
. He then became President of Lucent's Software Products Group and Vice President of Software Technology at Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
,. In December 2000, Sahin left Lucent, and in late 2001, Lucent sold the assets of the former Kenan Systems to CSG Systems for US$300 million In 2002, Kenan took over the Technology & Innovation business of Arthur D. Little
Arthur D. Little
Arthur D. Little is an international management consulting firm originally headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and formally incorporated by that name in 1909 by Arthur Dehon Little, an MIT chemist who had discovered acetate. Arthur D. Little pioneered the concept of contracted...
, a consulting firm which was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in 1886 and transformed it into TIAX
TIAX
TIAX LLC is a laboratory-based technology development company that takes early stage inventions, and in its labs, transforms them into technology-enabled products ready for spin-out and commercialization. TIAX is headquartered in Lexington, MA with non-laboratory offices in Cupertino and Irvine, CA...
, a leading technology development company. Under Sahin's leadership, TIAX is a laboratory-based technology development company headquartered in Lexington, MA with non-laboratory offices in Cupertino and Irvine, CA.
In November 1999, Dr. Sahin donated $100 million to his alma mater, MIT, in an unrestricted gift. The gift was the largest ever received by MIT and one of the largest in higher education at that time.
Dr. Sahin was chosen by the World Economic Forum as one of its 40 Technology Pioneers for 2003 and received the New England Business and Technology’s first “Circle of Excellence” award in 2004.
In 2006, Sahin was selected as the recipient of the 29th Annual Golden Door Award by the International Institute of Boston
Dr. Sahin serves, or has served on, numerous non-profit boards, including those of the Council on Competitiveness (CoC), MIT (for whom he is a life member), Argonne National Laboratory, the Boston Museum of Science, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Symphony, and the American Field Service. He is also on the Steering Committee of the CoC’s Energy Security, Innovation & Sustainability Initiative; and on the External Advisory Board of MIT’s Energy Initiative.