Riffa, Bahrain - The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) has appointed Dr. Bradley J. Cook to be its next president, starting in the summer of 2022 and succeeding Dr. Susan E. Saxton. He joins AUBH with more than thirty years of distinguished international and regional experience in higher education across the U.S. and the Middle East.

Dr. Cook is an accomplished leader that has contributed to exceptional student outcomes and institutional development in his previous senior-level positions at U.S. accredited higher education institutions. Having spent considerable time in the Middle East in his early life, he eventually obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy in Middle East Studies from the University of Oxford.  He is deeply committed to supporting the development of Bahrain and the region and delivering high quality higher education. Dr. Cook also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University

Speaking on his appointment, Dr. Cook commented: “I am honored to join AUBH at this exciting time and look forward to working closely with the university’s leadership to spearhead its continued development and achieve its noble mission to students as well as the wider community and region.

AUBH Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Hisham Al-Saie stated: “We are incredibly pleased to have Dr. Cook join us to lead the university through its next phase of growth, and are confident that he will be an effective ambassador of our shared values and our deep commitment to students, Bahrain, and the region.”

Dr. Cook previously served as the 17th president of Snow College in the U.S. and led it through record growth and other successes including the best ranking in the State of Utah by US News and World Report and 7th best public college in the West. In 2020, Snow College was ranked number one nationally in its class for student success. Earlier in his career, Dr. Cook served as provost at Southern Utah University (SUU) during a period where it achieved record high student success rates, created over 25 new academic programs and centers, and elevated SUU’s academic reputation as one of the premier public regional universities in the Intermountain West. Dr. Cook has also previously served as president of the Abu Dhabi Women’s College and worked at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Additionally, he served as a Commissioner for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, a highly reputed U.S. institutional accrediting body. 

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