American University of Kurdistan chooses new president

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The American University of Kurdistan (AUK), located in the autonomous Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province, has named Dr Randall Rhodes as its third president.

The university was founded in 2014 as a non-profit, special status institution of higher learning and aims “to shape the next generation of leaders through its curriculum and exceptional faculty.” Its first batch of graduates completed their degrees in 2019.

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The school’s Board of Trustees made the appointment, officially announced in a social media post by Dr Honar Issa, Board Secretary and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee.

“Dr Rhodes will succeed Amb. John Menzies, AUK’s Interim President, who will stay as President Emeritus, recognizing his dedication and efforts in steering AUK through challenging times,” a statement on the university's website read.

The new president has served as the Provost of American University of Armenia since 2015 and was the former Associate Provost of Frostburg State University in the United States.

“An alumnus of the University of Chicago, Dr Rhodes has been engaged with the academic environment since 1985 taking up various positions, from faculty member to Chair of the Faculty Senate to Department Chair to Assistant Dean to Provost,” the statement added.

“I am very enthusiastic about joining the AUK community. The University is young, ambitious, and poised to become a leader in the educational, economic, and social development of Kurdistan. Let us work together to realize this vision, uphold standards of excellence, and make AUK a regional role model in higher education,” Dr Rhodes said in a separate statement following the announcement.

The Presidential Search Committee, which consists of several prestigious international academics, said the new president is “a strategic thinker who has immense experience and knowledge in accreditation and implementation of strategic plans,” and would “lead the University in a direction bringing prosperity to the region and the betterment of people’s lives.”

Editing by John J. Catherine