At the beginning of September, 2010, Dr. Winfred L. Thompson became the fourth President of the American University of Kuwait, succeeding interim president Dr. Tim Sullivan. Dr. Thompson comes to AUK after serving, most recently, as Vice President for Academic Affairs at the American University in Afghanistan in Kabul. From 2002 to 2008 he served as Chancellor of the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, which under his leadership became known as one of the premier institutions of higher education in the Gulf Region.

Before beginning his educational work in the Middle East, Dr. Thompson spent most of his career as a senior administrator at universities in his native state of Arkansas. He served as Vice President of two universities and was President of the University of Central Arkansas from 1988 through 2001. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago and holds two law degrees from George Washington University. He and his wife Carmen have two adult children and two granddaughters.