James Miller '73, who began his studies at Brown in the inaugural year of the New Curriculum, will return to the University Aug. 29 as the Charles H. Doebler IV Dean of Admission. Miller, dean of admission and financial aid at Bowdoin College since 2001, will succeed Michael Goldberger, who became Brown's director of athletics this spring.
"In recognition of the important role undergraduate admission plays in sustaining the excellence of academic life at Brown, we have changed the position title from director to dean," President Ruth Simmons wrote in an e-mail sent to the Brown community July 14.
Miller began his career in admission at Harvard, where he worked for 20 years and served as director of financial aid from 1983 to 1999. He has also served as a financial aid econometric modeling consultant for the College Board and participated in a six-month review of Brown's potential to achieve need-blind admission. He has served as a commentator for National Public Radio, Newsweek and NBC's "Today" show, according to Simmons. In 1999, Miller returned to the University as executive director of capital giving in Brown's Development Office.
"(Brown) certainly changed my life and I was really excited to have a chance to come back," Miller said, emphasizing the importance of making places like Brown - "which is really one of America's treasures" - accessible to everyone who has earned the chance to be there.
"It's the students and faculty who make (Brown) such a great place; buildings are buildings, but it's the people who make the difference - (the students) give each other a sense of what's possible to do with your lives, and that's really impressive," Miller said.
"A healthy financial aid program is vital, and also making sure that students who don't know about Brown but have the talent and will to get there (find out about the University)," Miller said. He said that demographic changes occurring in the United States are "pretty profound, just in terms of people moving west and south."
The dean of admission leads a staff of 20 admission officers and 18 support staff in choosing the University's incoming undergraduate classes and establishing and interpreting admission policy, setting criteria and communicating with prospective students and their families, according to the News Service.
Applications to the College hit a record high of 16,907 for the Class of 2009, with about 1,440 students expected to matriculate.
