Tim Sullivan Appointed Interim President of the American University of Kuwait

Isaacson, Miller to Assist with International Presidential Search.

The Executive Committee of the American University of Kuwait Board of Trustees has appointed Earl L. (Tim) Sullivan as interim president, effective January 1, 2010. 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 Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah, Chairwoman of the AUK Board of Trustees. "He has a deep understanding of academic and administrative structures, an impressive scholarly record, and a commitment to quality." 

Tim 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 U.S. 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.

It is to be noted that AUK has also launched a comprehensive international search for AUK's 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.

Founded in 1982, Isaacson, Miller's expertise has grown out of its founders' public service backgrounds and their commitment to finding talented people to lead and enhance civic institutions. 

Isaacson, Miller has worked on presidential searches at universities throughout the U.S., including Dartmouth College, Williams College, and Gallaudet University. The firm has also worked on high level searches for the Smithsonian Foundation, Princeton University, the State University of New York (SUNY), and the University of California at San Francisco, among many others.

Leading the search for Isaacson, Miller is Tim McFeeley, vice president and director. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, McFeeley is an attorney who specialized in healthcare law before joining IM. McFeeley has led searches for higher education, advocacy, environmental, and international development organizations. Sean Farrell, a managing associate at IM, will assist with the search. Nominations and expressions of interest from members of the AUK community are welcome and will be treated with complete confidentiality.
  

Tim Sullivan