02 December 2025

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Meet Tom Miller, new leader in Administration and Finance

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Thomas Miller joined Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) as Dean for Administration and Chief Operations Officer a year ago and has been a key figure through a period of transformation at the School. Serving in a senior role, he provides strategic operational expertise and day-to-day oversight of the key administrative areas of operations, finance, grant administration, human resources, information technology, external education, clinical operations, and risk and compliance.

Miller brings extensive higher education leadership experience to HSDM, having served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Administration and Finance at UMass Boston, where he helped close a $30M deficit and establish a sustainable fiscal planning process. At the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, he advanced research initiatives and helped secure a $125M+ National Science Foundation grant for a new research vessel.

A proud veteran, Miller earned a BS in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and dual MS degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He served more than 20 years on active duty in the Coast Guard as a maritime safety and security professional, continuing a lifelong commitment to public service.

What inspired you to come to Harvard and to serve in this role?

Great question, it’s something I thought about a lot during the interview process and as I considered leaving my role at UMass Boston. I was honored to be invited as a candidate and intrigued by the scope and challenges of the position. The people I met, along with the strength of the administrative and finance team, played a major role in my decision. I was also inspired by HSDM’s unique oral healthcare mission and its strategic vision. Joining this community has been one of the best decisions of my professional career.

Tell us more about your background.

I grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon. Both of my parents were elementary school teachers. In the summers, my siblings and I worked as commercial fishermen on the Oregon coast. When it came time to consider college, my father encouraged me to explore the military academies. I applied to just one, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, largely because I was familiar with the Coast Guard, having been rescued by them a few times. Fortunately, I was accepted, and I went on to spend the next 24 years in the Coast Guard.

After leaving the service, I pursued a career in higher education because I saw it as the place where I could have the greatest impact on developing future leaders, regardless of their academic or professional path.

What have you learned in the past year about the HSDM community?

As I’ve gotten to know members of the community, I have been so impressed with everyone I’ve met. The students, faculty, staff, and alumni make up a highly dedicated community who are completely invested in the continued success and legacy of HSDM. It is easy to see that our greatest asset is our people. We all work together to create and strengthen the fabric of the community.

In August, I had the pleasure of meeting the incoming Class of 2029 as they began their journey at HSDM. It’s been inspiring to see the students’ commitment to serving the broader community. Programs like Give Veterans and Give Kids a Smile highlight this dedication, and speaking with the veterans who received care reinforced how meaningful these initiatives are.

Additionally, the relationship and strong collaboration that exists between the faculty and the administration at HSDM is refreshing. It really is encouraging as we work through the current challenges we face.

What are some of the most pressing financial challenges HSDM faces?

When I joined HSDM, I learned the School was facing an operating deficit with expenses outpacing revenues and compounded by the need to address significant deferred maintenance on our aging building and infrastructure.

In response, we launched an effort last fall to diversify and expand HSDM’s revenue streams, focusing on tuition-generating programs, external education, philanthropy, clinical operations, and research funding diversification to build a broad-based plan for a fiscally sustainable, and resilient budget. Shifts in the federal landscape, including changes to research funding, the endowment tax, and potential limitations on international student attendance, have only underscored the urgency of these initiatives.

Additionally, we face significant financial challenges in our operation of the Harvard Dental Center Cambridge practice which was further impacted by a recent electrical fire. Even in strong financial times, an operating deficit of approximately $1M is not sustainable, and we have had to carefully evaluate HSDM’s options to close that gap.

How is the School sustaining its research and education priorities during the current fiscal climate?

Sustaining our academic, research, and clinical care missions are absolute necessities. To rebuild a budget that is fiscally solvent, resilient, and sustainable, we have been faced with some difficult decisions.

Department chairs assessed HSDM’s research strengths and prioritized areas for future growth. For federally funded projects jeopardized by the federal funding freeze/termination, principal investigators took significant steps to reduce monthly spending. Through a combination of University and HSDM funds, we have been able to provide continuity funding to maintain a reduced level of effort on the projects most closely aligned with these future research priorities.

To create new financial capacity, we must sunset programs that are no longer viable, improve operational efficiencies, and reallocate resources to strategic priorities.

What areas of growth or opportunity do you see for the School?

As a global leader in oral healthcare, there is tremendous growth opportunity in External Education and HSDM has only begun to tap into that market. We are investing in this area and are continuing to leverage key partnerships to help expedite program growth and revenue generation.

The expansion of our Advanced Graduate Education programs and establishment of an Advanced Standing International Dentist program are key initiatives, requiring thoughtful investment of resources to ensure sustainable growth. One example of this growth is the launch of our online Masters in Dental Education led by Dr. Sang Park and her team. After two years of preparation, the first cohort will begin in July 2026. This program represents a major opportunity to explore online degree offerings more broadly.

Philanthropic support and corporate funding continue to be vital areas of growth. We have been honored by the strong and growing support from alumni, corporate partners, and friends of HSDM. FY25 brought impressive gains across multiple areas, and efforts to pivot some research toward corporate funding will help diversify our portfolio and enable greater agility in the face of changing funding opportunities in the future.

While the path ahead may be challenging, HSDM’s vision provides a clear guide as we move forward together as “One HSDM.”

Source: https://www.hsdm.harvard.edu/