Harris

David Harris, professor of sociology, will soon return from a presidential appointment in Washington, D.C., for a one-year term as senior associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, beginning this summer.

Since April 2010, Harris has been in the heart of Washington politics. As deputy assistant secretary for human services policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Harris has worked on anti-poverty policy at the individual, family and community levels.

"Our job has been to identify strengths and weaknesses in proposed policies and to anticipate what research will be needed to inform future policy debates," said Harris. "I feel very fortunate to have been part of some of the administration's key opportunity and anti-poverty initiatives. I've had the honor of working with colleagues from across the federal government on issues such as homelessness, incarceration and re-entry, child welfare, early education and urban policy."

"Cornell has good reason to take pride in faculty who share their expertise at a high level in government," said Provost Kent Fuchs. "I'm delighted to welcome David back to campus after his valuable service in Washington."

Having a third senior associate dean for one year will give the dean's office additional capacity to focus on strategy while continuing to deal with day-to-day academic administration, according to G. Peter Lepage, the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "I'm eager to make good use of David's considerable talents in this special position," Lepage said. "Next year, the senior associate deans and I will devote substantial time to long-range planning, with our top priority being the formulation of a multiyear strategy for hiring."

As a senior associate dean, Harris is looking forward to implementing some of the social science initiatives for Cornell that were first imagined while he was vice provost. And he is eager to share what he's learned in Washington with students. "I've gotten to know many of the key people in the administration who work on income, race and gender disparities, which will inform what I bring to my interactions with students and others on campus," he said.

In a string of firsts, Harris was the founding director and executive director of Cornell's Institute for the Social Sciences in 2004; the first vice provost for social sciences, in 2005; and the first deputy provost, in 2007. As deputy provost, Harris focused on such priorities as diversity, admissions and financial aid; as vice provost, he led the development and implementation of universitywide efforts to enhance the social sciences and also provided a social science perspective on Cornell policies and priorities. Harris also served as interim provost in 2008.

He's particularly proud of the financial aid policy changes he spearheaded while deputy provost and interim provost. "I'm a first-generation college kid. If it weren't for very generous financial aid, I could never have attended Northwestern University," he explained. "I'm thrilled that we were able to implement changes in Cornell's financial aid policies that have allowed an even more diverse group of students to thrive here."

And Harris can empathize with other kinds of student struggles: He dropped out of college late in his sophomore year as a civil engineering major. Over the summer he realized it wasn't college he disliked, but his major. "I cared about people and society, not cables and bridges," he recalled. He later earned a B.S. in human development and social policy and a Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University.

Harris has published numerous articles on race and ethnicity, social stratification, social identity, and public policy. He is the co-editor of "The Colors of Poverty: Why Racial and Ethnic Disparities Persist" and was the lead author of a major study published by the Teagle Foundation, "Eliminating Racial Disparities in College Completion and Achievement: Current Initiatives, New Ideas and Assessment."

Linda B. Glaser is staff writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.