FAS Development Head To Leave

O’Neil A.S. Outar, senior associate dean and director of development for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, will leave his post early next month amid Harvard’s record-breaking capital campaign.

Outar’s departure comes less than two years after he joined FAS in September 2014; before, he worked at the helm of the alumni and fundraising arm at the University of Alberta and fundraised for MIT. It is the second leadership change within FAS’s development office less than three years into the public phase of Harvard’s capital campaign.

“While Harvard does not comment on personnel matters, we thank Senior Associate Dean Outar for his service to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and will announce details of the search process for his replacement in the near future,” FAS spokesperson Anna Cowenhoven wrote in an emailed statement. Outar did not respond to requests for comment.

According to Harvard Magazine, Robert B. Cashion ’81, senior associate vice president for alumni affairs and development, will lead FAS’ development office on an interim basis. Cashion, who could not be reached for comment, previously served as acting Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development and FAS development director.

Harvard surpassed its $6.5 billion capital campaign target earlier this year, setting a higher education fundraising record with two and a half years still left in the campaign.

That progress was fueled by several large gifts, including a historic $400 million pledge to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences from hedge fund magnate John A. Paulson last June.

In recent months, FAS has turned its fundraising attention to the College’s House renewal project, which, as of late March, has raised $230 million towards a $450 million goal.

—Staff writer Luca F. Schroeder can be reached at luca.schroeder@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @lucaschroeder.