Press Release
December 07, 2016 - Sulaimani (KRG), Iraq - The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) today announced the appointment of Dr. Mazen Bou Khuzam as the new Dean of Faculty and Rachel Laribee Gresk as the Director of Academic Administration and Accreditation. The two positions were created after the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Esther Mulnix, earlier in the year announced her decision to leave AUIS.
Dr. Bou Khuzam, who will take up his position as Dean of Faculty on January 1, 2017, has served at AUIS since 2013 as Assistant Professor and Chair of the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department. On accepting the new position, he said, “I am truly honored to be appointed as Dean of Faculty at AUIS. During the past three years, my main role as the Chair of the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department was to focus on quality and excellence in teaching. I now look forward to working with the entire faculty to continue to promote educational excellence in the Kurdistan Region and in all of Iraq."
AUIS has also appointed Rachel Laribee Gresk as the new Director of Academic Administration and Accreditation, who will report to the Dean of Faculty. “As a member of the AUIS community since 2009, I am honored to move into this new position. I look forward to continuing to work with our dedicated and hardworking team to make AUIS a premier institution for our students,” said Gresk, who formerly headed the AUIS Academic Preparatory Program where she led the highly acclaimed program to US accreditation, the only such program internationally accredited in Iraq. Mrs. Gresk is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.About The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani
Established in 2007 as a not-for-profit institution, AUIS is dedicated to providing a comprehensive liberal arts education for the benefit of young men and women from Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, and the wider region. The University seeks to produce graduates of responsible character with the necessary knowledge and skills for professional and national leadership. The academic program, taught in the English language by international faculty, is designed to develop strength in critical thinking, the ability to communicate well, a strong work ethic, good citizenship and personal integrity.
The growing student body at AUIS represents the region’s diverse ethnic and religious landscape as the University continues to be the destination of choice of more than 1,600 students. Reflecting Sulaimani’s location at an international crossroads, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, Ezidis and Christians, live and study together in an open culture fostering diversity and tolerance. Academic freedom is a principle guaranteed in teaching, learning, and research in a manner identical to that found at regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States. As a non-profit institution for the public good, the University and its assets are not owned by any individual or group of individuals.
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For English language and international media, please contact Mehr Zahra, Director of Communications, at mehr.zahra [at] auis.edu.krd or 964(0)772-339-9305.
For Kurdish and Arabic media requests, please contact Bzhar Boskani, Media and Public Relations Adviser, at bzhar.ali [at] auis.edu.krd or 964(0)770-152-1893