Overseers declare new president, vice chair

Sylvia Mathews Burwell ’87, the former president of American University and a past secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has been appointed president of the Harvard University Board of Overseers for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Monica Bharel, M.P.H. ’12, a physician and leader in public health at Google Health, along with her previous role as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will take on the vice chair position of the board’s executive committee for the same term.

Burwell and Bharel are set to succeed Vivian Hunt ’89, M.B.A. ’95, chief innovation officer at UnitedHealth Group, and Tyler Jacks ’83, an expert in cancer genetics research and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who held these roles during the previous academic year.

“Sylvia Burwell and Monica Bharel are distinguished alumni leaders whose backgrounds in addressing complex challenges under remarkable conditions will benefit Harvard,” stated President Alan Garber. “With experience leading a university, at the highest tiers of government, and in two of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations, Sylvia possesses deep insights into large multifaceted entities and understands what is required to propel them forward. As a physician, public health expert, and government figure, Monica has melded empathy with evidence-based solutions to ensure health across the region and nationwide. I extend my gratitude to both for their leadership and unwavering dedication to the University.”

The Board of Overseers constitutes one of Harvard’s two governing bodies, comprised of members elected from the alumni community. Formally established in 1642, the board plays a pivotal role in the governance of the University. Central to its responsibilities, the board oversees the visitation process, the primary method for periodic external evaluation of Harvard’s Schools and departments. Through its established committees and approximately 50 visiting committees that report to them, the board scrutinizes the caliber of Harvard’s programs, ensuring the University remains aligned with its mission as a scholarly institution.

More broadly, leveraging the diverse expertise of its members, the board advises the University’s leadership on key priorities, strategies, and initiatives. Additionally, it holds the authority to consent to certain actions, including the election of members of the Corporation, Harvard’s other governing body.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell

Sylvia Mathews Burwell is a widely experienced leader who has held key positions in government, philanthropy, and academia. Burwell served as the 15th president of American University, after her tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2014 to 2017 and as director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2013 to 2014. In her role as HHS Secretary, she oversaw a trillion-dollar department with 12 operational divisions, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

 “It’s a privilege to serve as president of the Board of Overseers in the upcoming year,” remarked Burwell.

“I arrived at Harvard as a freshman, having grown up in Hinton, West Virginia, a place where everyone is familiar with one another and where the concept of community is paramount,” she added. “My grandparents immigrated to this nation with aspirations for their children and families. My upbringing, combined with my experiences at Harvard, has shaped my comprehension of the necessity of contributing to this country and the significant role community plays in the health of our institutions and nation.

“This is a crucial period for higher education, for our nation’s students, and for Harvard. I am eager to collaborate closely with President Garber, my fellow members on the Board of Overseers, and the Harvard community — both on campus and among alumni — to listen and to foster the University’s core mission of teaching, learning, and research, ensuring future students can benefit and the University can persist in its efforts to enhance the lives, well-being, and communities of individuals across the nation and globally.”

As president of AU, Burwell guided the university through the COVID-19 crisis and led the conception and execution of the Changemakers for a Changing World strategic plan, alongside the $500 million Change Can’t Wait initiative, the most successful campaign in the institution’s history. This campaign resulted in the establishment of four new and expanded research centers, eight endowed faculty roles, and over 170 scholarships. Under her guidance, AU launched the Sine Institute for Policy and Politics, the Khan Cyber and Economic Security Institute, and the LEED-Gold Hall of Science.

Burwell has also occupied executive roles at two of the largest foundations worldwide — serving as chief operating officer and president of the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, and as president of the Walmart Foundation located in Bentonville, Arkansas.

She has held positions on various higher education boards and is currently a member of the boards for Kimberly Clark, Guidewell Florida Blue, and the Council on Foreign Relations. She has previously served on the board of the University of Washington Medical Center.

Born and raised in Hinton, a small West Virginia town with around 3,000 residents, Burwell’s family was deeply committed to service within their community. Her mother worked as a teacher and served as mayor for nearly a decade, while her father, an optometrist by profession, occasionally took on the role of minister at the local Episcopal church when necessary. Both her maternal and paternal grandparents immigrated from Greece.

Burwell focused on political science and governance at Harvard. She earned an A.B. in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar in 1990.

Monica Bharel

Monica Bharel is a physician, public health leader, medical educator, and government servant. In her role as the global clinical lead for public sector and public health at Google, Bharel contributes
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to utilize technology for addressing public health issues, leveraging the capabilities of data and analytics to foster advancements in health outcomes for everyone.

 “It’s a tremendous privilege to fulfill this role alongside my fellow Overseers and with President Garber and leaders throughout the University,” remarked Bharel. “My experience as a student at Harvard was life-changing. Beyond the coursework and analytical models I encountered, the community and solidarity of individuals collaborating to tackle intricate challenges enhanced my own capacity and enabled me to envision innovative approaches to solutions that benefit all.”

Bharel was designated by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2015 as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, acting as the Commonwealth’s top physician from 2015 to 2021. During her tenure, she managed Massachusetts’ public health response to the COVID-19 outbreak as well as multiple other public health emergencies, including the opioid crisis.

As commissioner, Bharel supervised a public health workforce of nearly 3,000 and a vast department addressing a diverse range of health-related concerns, such as lead poisoning, health equity, and injury prevention. Bharel played a pivotal role in establishing the Public Health Data Warehouse in 2017, as part of the newly formed Office of Population Health. Under her direction, Massachusetts achieved national recognition as one of the healthiest states in the country.

Bharel also acted as a senior adviser to the mayor of Boston in 2021-22 and was appointed by Mayor Michelle Wu to spearhead the city’s response to the humanitarian crisis in the region known as Mass and Cass.

Bharel is a board-certified internist who has practiced general internal medicine for over 20 years, including at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center, community health centers, the Veterans Administration, and nonprofit organizations. She has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Before her role as commissioner, she served as the chief medical officer of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy. She possesses a medical degree from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and completed her residency and chief residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital/Boston Medical Center.