Faber appointed chief development officer for Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Michael Faber, an experienced and versatile fundraiser who has built his career in advancement roles at leading research universities, has been named the new associate vice president and dean of development for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

In a message to the FAS community on Tuesday, Hopi Hoekstra, Edgerley Family Dean of the FAS, and James Husson, vice president for University alumni affairs and development, noted Faber’s “distinguished record of advancing institutional priorities and leading multibillion-dollar comprehensive campaigns.”

Faber will lead FAS’s development efforts, overseeing fundraising strategy and execution in support of FAS academic priorities, beginning Aug. 25. His portfolio will include principal gifts, major gifts, Harvard College Fund, gift planning, stewardship, reunion giving, development communications, and volunteer engagement.

As an associate vice president, Faber will also partner with the alumni affairs and development leadership team in shaping and implementing University development strategies.

“I am thrilled to welcome Michael to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,” Hoekstra said. “His exceptional track record in securing transformational support — especially for research — will be critical as we explore new ways to support our faculty and students in a rapidly changing landscape for higher education. I know he will be a valuable addition to the FAS leadership team and broader community.”

Faber returns to Harvard with deep connections to the University community and its mission, having previously served in fundraising roles where he partnered with development teams and senior faculty across Harvard’s Schools — including FAS, Harvard Medical School, and the School of Public Health (now the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

Currently, Faber is vice president for medical and health sciences advancement at Ohio State University. There he oversees development teams for seven colleges and dozens of research institutes raising more than $300 million annually.

Previously, Faber led fundraising efforts at the University of California, San Francisco, as associate vice chancellor of development & alumni relations and worked as an adviser in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology president’s office under then-President Susan Hockfield.

“Michael brings unmatched experience and insight to this key role,” said Husson. “He returns to Harvard with highly relevant skills, honed at the highest levels of the nation’s top fundraising organizations. His proven ability to work across disciplines, combined with his deep Harvard roots, will strengthen our entire leadership team. I’m excited by the opportunity to partner with Michael as we seek to advance Harvard’s academic and societal mission in the years ahead.”

Over the course of his career, Faber has worked on strategies for creative donor engagement, optimizing principal and planned gifts, multibillion-dollar campaign planning, and complex proposal development for collaborative, interdisciplinary research initiatives.

“I am humbled to return to Harvard at this critical moment for higher education,” Faber said. “There has never been a more important time to champion philanthropic support to fortify its excellence for generations to come. I am grateful to Dean Hoekstra and Jim Husson for this opportunity to contribute to Harvard’s mission.”

Faber graduated from Rhodes College and earned a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His wife, Kate, is a biotech professional and clinical researcher whom he met while living in Harvard Square. Together they have three children, Oliver, 13, Eleanor, 10, and Phineas, 6.