The Volgenau School of Engineering lost a great friend, supporter, and advocate when Dr. H. Gilbert Miller passed away on Sunday, November 8. Miller's contributions to the Northern Virginia community were immeasurable. His advocacy and friendship to the school and the university spanned decades and affected many.
Miller was one of a distinguished group of senior executives who serve on the Dean's Advisory Board, most recently serving as the board's vice chair.
He also served on advisory boards for the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research and the Data Analytics Engineering Master's program.
"As vice chair of the Dean's Advisory Board, Gil worked tirelessly to make the school a better place. He led meetings, facilitated discussions with faculty and volunteers. His insight to policy, research, and group behavior often provided a fresh perspectives," said Linda Kovac, director of advancement and alumni relations
[H. Gilbert Miller]
In an interview earlier this fall about his volunteer leadership Miller said, "We are all busy, but education, especially STEM education, is a critical part of solving the challenges that we face as individuals, as organizations, and as a nation. At this point in my career, I am focused on returning the help and support I received much earlier from educational institutions."
Miller said he was specifically interested in helping the school develop intern programs and assuring that the school continued to be responsive to the challenges faced by the Northern Virginia technology community.
Miller had more than 30 years of experience in large-scale systems engineering, acquisition, and science and technology projects for nearly every federal government agency. In his most recent position as the vice president and chief technology officer of Noblis, Inc., he was responsible for advancing the company's science and technology base. Miller was in charge of the company's research and development program. He led a public-private initiative establishing the Center for Applied High Performance Computing.
He earned his BS in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, an MS in computer science from Johns Hopkins University and PhD in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. His knowledge of engineering, research, and corporate culture were invaluable to the school.
"I will personally miss Gil immensely. He was an invaluable member of our team. The work that he initiated will continue, which is a testament to its importance to us," said Ken Ball, PhD, Dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering.