KUWAIT, Oct 5 (KUNA) -- The Executive Committee of the American University of Kuwait (AUK) Board of Trustees has appointed Earl L. (Tim) Sullivan as interim president, effective January 1, 2010.
In a press release issued Monday, the AUK said Sullivan will succeed Marina Tolmacheva, who recently announced her intention to step down from the AUK presidency in December 2009.
"Tim brings a wealth of experience to this position," said Chairperson of the AUK Board of Trustees Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah. "He has a deep understanding of academic and administrative structures, an impressive scholarly record, and a commitment to quality." Sullivan is a political scientist who has served in a wide variety of leadership roles at The American University of Cairo (AUC). A member of the AUC faculty since 1973, he was provost from 1998 to 2008, and served as the university's acting president in 2001-2002. He chaired AUC's department of Political Science and its department of Economics, Political Science, and Mass Communications.
He also chaired the university senate and the editorial board of Cairo Papers in Social Science. Sullivan served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Cairo American College from 1974 to 1979.
Sullivan says he looks forward to working with AUK faculty, students, and staff during this interim period. "I am impressed by what AUK has accomplished over the last several years," he said, "and grateful to President Marina Tolmacheva for the role she has played in helping the university grow." A graduate of Seattle University, Sullivan received a Ph.D. in International Relations and Government from Claremont Graduate University (California). He has received a grant from the Ford Foundation, a fellowship from the US Department of State, and has held visiting scholarships at the Brookings Institution, The Gustave E. Von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies, and The Middle East Center (University of Utah), among others.
AUK has also launched a comprehensive international search for its third president. The search will be conducted with the assistance of Isaacson, Miller (IM), an internationally known executive search firm specializing in higher education and related fields. (end) ema KUNA 052318 Oct 09NNNN