Laurel Stavis appointed as the Executive Director of the Dartmouth-AUK Project

AUK is delighted to announce that Laurel Stavis has been appointed Executive Director of the Dartmouth College-American University of Kuwait (AUK) Project. Dartmouth provides consultation and expertise to AUK on a broad range of strategic, administrative, and academic matters, and Laurel has served as a senior consultant to the Project since AUK opened in 2004.

As Executive Director, Laurel will work closely with Dale Eickelman, the Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Human Relations, on all aspects of the Program. Professor Eickelman has spearheaded the Dartmouth-AUK Project and serves as its Relationship Coordinator. She will work with the trustees and senior leadership of AUK, and serve as liaison between the two institutions, developing strategies to deepen and expand on programs already in place, and create innovative new areas for collaboration.

To better support these collaborative efforts, Dartmouth has dedicated office space to the Project that will house the Relationship Coordinator and the Executive Director. It will be the "home base" in Hanover, New Hampshire for all matters relating to AUK and Dartmouth projects, and will provide meeting space as well as a temporary work space for student interns, visiting faculty, administrators, and other guests.

Over the past several years, Dartmouth faculty members and administrators from the President's office, the libraries, the registrar's office, computing services, Public Affairs, the Hood Museum of Art, and Thayer School of Engineering have traveled to Kuwait to share their expertise. Administrative and academic leaders at AUK have visited Dartmouth to consult with their counterparts here, and a thriving student internship program has been created.

"Dartmouth and the American University of Kuwait share a universal commitment to the principles of inquiry that only the best liberal arts education can provide," said Professor Eickelman. "Laurel is committed to AUK's success and to the continuing growth of its partnership with Dartmouth. As we enter this exciting new phase of the collaboration between our institutions, I am delighted that her experience both here at Dartmouth and in Kuwait will help guide our program."

Laurel Stavis came to Dartmouth in 1996 as Director of Public Affairs. Previously, she was Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Wellesley College. Her contributions to what was then the Dartmouth News Service have helped the division progress into the key role it occupies today. Since 2004 she has provided leadership for the College's major communications vehicles, including Dartmouth Life, VOX of Dartmouth, and Speaking of Dartmouth.