Ms Rachel Baldwin
Vice Provost, Students
Ms Rachel Baldwin joined AKU as the Vice Provost, Students, in May 2024.
Rachel is responsible for the strategic growth, management, and evolution of all student affairs related offices and services at AKU. With support and leadership from the student affairs staff, Rachel's work will focus primarily on the holistic advancement of students' experience across all AKU campuses. This global role encompasses her passion for student development and success, as part of her extensive career history.
Prior to joining AKU, Rachel spent 12 years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a variety of roles as a Consultant (Student Life) for Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dean of Student Affairs at Abu Dhabi University, and Dean of Student Affairs at the American University in Dubai. Her specializations within student affairs range from athletics, alumni affairs, campus wide events and activities, diversity and inclusion, housing and residential life, international student services, orientation, special needs accommodation, student governance and advisement, and student conduct.
Before pursuing her student affairs career abroad, Rachel worked for three U.S. universities, and dedicated her longest term to Princeton University, where she spent nearly 8 years as Director of International Student Programs/Associate Director of the Davis International Center, and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Students. Rachel's tenure at Princeton was cap stoned by several awards, including a Fulbright Award for International Education Administrators (Korea), an honorary membership in the Princeton Class of 2008, as well as the Princeton University Special Performance Award.
Rachel holds an MSc in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Buffalo State University, with a research focus on the holistic student experience of U.S. students of color, and a BA in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame.
