Blending the best of business and a liberal arts education is a priority for Marc D. Miller, Henderson State University’s new dean for the School of Business. He comes to the small-town university with extensive achievements and accolades, while maintaining a lighthearted attitude.
His impression of Henderson thus far has been great, he said.
“They have a dedicated and supportive staff. The leadership is awesome,” Miller said. “Between the experience of Provost Steve Adkison and the vision of President Glen Jones, Henderson is poised to take off to new heights.
“I could not have handpicked a better situation.”
Miller began his leadership role earlier this month. He comes to Arkadelphia from Augusta, Georgia, where he was executive director of the Office of Economic Development and Entrepreneurial Engagement at Augusta University. Before that, he was dean of the university’s Hull College of Business for 10 years.
He started his career at Augusta University in 2000 as an associate professor of business and was appointed dean six years later. Under his tutelage, the college oversaw the development of the first health- and science-related dual-degree programs and the STEM-Master of Business Administration option, as well as the establishment of a $1 million grant from the Department of Energy to bring nuclear-science capability to the physics and chemistry departments.
An award-winning researcher in the areas of information systems, distance education and innovation management, Miller’s work has appeared in journals such as Communications of the ACM, Computers in Human Behavior and Educational and Psychological Measurement. He is an associate editor for the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and the International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education.
Born in Beaumont, Texas, Miller lived there until he was 11, when he moved to Augusta. With a father who was a professor at the Medical College of Georgia, Miller grew up around higher education and said he can’t imagine working in a different environment.
“I get extreme satisfaction from the fact that I can help change the direction of a person’s life through education,” Miller said. “The college experience is truly a transformational experience.”
He credits his parents for his success in life, as well as his childhood Methodist Church pastor, Dave Sargent.
“My father and mother overcame great odds to get to where they are today, and I simply could not have done what I have done without their support and extremely good parenting,” Miller said.
With bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Augusta College, Miller earned his doctorate in information systems management from Auburn University in Alabama.
In addition, he has an active research agenda, including the roles of technology in public health, entrepreneurship and innovation management and academic innovation management.
A good friend who was familiar with Henderson referred Miller to the position, he said.
“He was highly complimentary of the school, so I applied,” Miller said. “I also appreciate and understand the liberal arts mission and that Henderson is the state’s public liberal arts college, and I believe that business has a role to play in that mission. Plus, the school is AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited, and that shows that they have a commitment to high-quality programs.”
At the Henderson School of Business, Miller wants to build on the university’s liberal arts mission to create business degrees and certificates for nonbusiness majors in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and liberal arts fields.
“I also want to expand the MBA program. We have a great accounting degree, and I believe that we have the opportunity to expand it as well.”
The commitment from leaders is there, Miller said, which will only help these goals become reality. In addition to Henderson’s leadership base, Miller calls on supportive alumni, “who can help raise private dollars to strengthen the programs and to help attract students to Henderson,” he said. “Finally, it will take a committed faculty and staff, and I am quite confident that we have the faculty that are ready and willing to move the Henderson School of Business to the next level.”
Miller’s motivation comes from students.
“That is why we are here,” he said. “We’re here to create an exceptional experience for our students and to provide them with opportunities that will transform their lives.”
Because of his extensive background in education, it might be surprising to learn that Miller met his wife while the two were working on a community-theater production.
“My wife and I met in the theater, and I participated in about 30 stage plays at the community and regional theater levels. I was in a play that won for the state of Georgia the National Theater Competition, and for which I was awarded Best Supporting Actor.”
Another highlight of his life, he said, was when he was a caddie for Bill Murray at the Augusta National Golf Club.
Miller said he looks forward to the Battle of the Ravine, a traditional football game between Henderson and the neighboring Ouachita Baptist University.
“Being on a campus that is primarily residential will be a great change for me that I am truly looking forward to,” he said.
Miller’s method for handling a big challenge has only furthered his approach to his new job.
“I stop, take a deep breath and remind myself of the Stockdale Paradox,” he said, which encourages practitioners to look at challenges and traumas objectively to bring about optimism and resilience.
“Dr. Miller will be a wonderful asset to the School of Business and our university,” Henderson President Glen Jones said. “His enthusiasm for preparing students well to make contributions to their careers, companies and communities echoes our own faculty members’ dedication to student success and achievement.”