​Dr. Tod Laursen is the Chancellor of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and an internationally respected higher education leader with extensive experience in institutional governance, academic development, research leadership, and strategic planning. Over the course of his career, Dr. Laursen has served in executive roles at leading universities in the United States and the Middle East, where he has led major academic reforms, expanded research capacity, and advanced global partnerships. Before joining AUS, Dr. Laursen served as the President of Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, Provost of the State University of New York, and as Acting President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute. His leadership has consistently centered on strengthening research ecosystems, fostering accreditation excellence, elevating faculty development, and building world-class academic programs. He is also a scholar in computational mechanics and engineering science, with a strong publication record and decades of experience mentoring students and researchers. He has been named a fellow of ASME, the United States Association for Computational Mechanics, and the International Association of Computational Mechanics. His experience leading universities through growth, accreditation processes, research expansion, and internationalization enables him to make significant contributions to the Board of Trustees at AUK. Dr. Laursen’s insight on governance models, strategic planning, institutional transformation, and capacity-building will support AUK as it strengthens academic quality, expands partnerships, and advances toward becoming a regional hub for peace, development, and innovation. Dr. Laursen holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University and both a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.”​