AUK Board of Trustees Appoints Dr. Rawda Awwad as AUK’s Sixth President
04th Feb 2019 | by the Department of PR & Marketing
Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Kuwait, Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah, announced today, that on Sunday, January 13, 2019, AUK’s Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to appoint Professor Rawda Hildegard Awwad as the sixth AUK president effective January 27, 2019. President-Elect Awwad will succeed President Tim “Earl” Sullivan who is leaving AUK to pursue other professional and personal interests.
“We are delighted to announce Professor Awwad as the new AUK President. Professor Awwad has genuine appreciation and understanding for liberal arts education which has been consistently reflected in her work since she joined AUK in 2004. Professor Awwad brings a wealth of experience in curriculum development, assessment, and accreditation. As we welcome Professor Awwad to her new post, I would like to thank President Sullivan for his contributions and servicesto AUK, and I look forward to continued success as the new president transitions to office,” said Al-Sabah.
Originally a faculty of English and Literature since 1995, Professor Awwad¬ has turned her career into a personal vocation: she has been a consummate teacher, mentor, scholar, administrator, and educational visionary throughout her professional life. Before joining AUK, she held a number of academic and/or administrative leadership positions at Duquesne University, Allegheny College, and the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.
“It is an honor to continue to serve the American University of Kuwait (AUK): its students, faculty, staff, parents and its broader constituents. We will maintain our distinctiveness and remain at the forefront of education in Kuwait by creating a sustainable impact that is visionary, constructive and forward looking,” said Professor Awwad.
Professor Awwad joined AUK in 2004 as a member of the university start-up team and member of the English department. In 2008, she was awarded a teaching/research grant by the U.S. State Department’s Strategic Engagement Initiative to develop and implement a series of courses addressing the rhetoric of terrorism and counter-terrorism. In 2009, Awwad was appointed Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and successfully oversaw a range of assessment and program accreditation initiatives. In 2013, she served as Interim CAS Dean prior to her appointment as Dean in 2014. In December 2016, Awwad was appointed University Provost, during which she focused on strengthening academic affairs and actively led a range of assessment and accreditation initiatives. Under her leadership, the university secured ABET accreditation for Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science.
Professor Awwad received her Bachelor of Sciences in Business and Administration in Marketing from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA (1988); her M.A. in English from Duquesne (1992); and her Ph.D. in English from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA (1997), with a specialization in nineteenth century British Literature, and Literary Theory and Criticism.
AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad