Drexel Engineering is pleased to announce Terrance Harris will join the college as inaugural director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, effective May 2, 2022. Harris joins the college after having served for six years as the director of the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center (BCC) at Oregon State University (OSU).
“This is a milestone for Drexel Engineering, illustrating positive momentum as we work on implementing our strategic plan with an eye toward driving a culture of inclusion and belonging,” said Dean Sharon L. Walker. “Terrance has been highly active in building bridges among communities and working with a range of internal and external partners, and I am thrilled he will bring his experience and fresh perspective to the college as we continue to advance our DEI efforts.”
As director, Harris will be responsible for the college’s DEI initiatives and will support and promote programs, policies, events and other activities to foster conversations and create a sustainable framework to advance DEI across Drexel Engineering. His role includes co-chairing the college’s committee on DEI, working collaboratively with Drexel’s Office of Equality and Diversity to ensure the planning and implementation of relevant DEI training and educational opportunities for college faculty and staff, as well as with HR and the college leadership on initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff.
Harris will also coordinate with affinity student organizations and programs across the college including, NSBE, SHPE, and SWE to name a few, acting as secondary advisor as well as primary college contact for external affinity-based organizations.
On his vision as director, Harris shared that he aims “to be an advocate, innovator and equitable leader of inclusive excellence who is committed to supporting the consistent development of our diverse student, faculty and staff populations in engineering.”
Harris is involved with the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
As director of the BCC, Terrance worked collectively with campus partners, alumni and various corporate entities to provide support and opportunities for students, specifically those who identified as Black. He also advised various organizations at OSU, including the Black Student Union, Black Graduate Student Association, African Student Association, and National Society of Black Engineers. Terrance served as co-chair for the President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff Affairs, actively advocating for Black faculty and staff support at OSU.
Originally from Louisville, KY, Terrance has lived across the south, from Dallas to Atlanta to Orlando. He holds a Bachelor's degree in business from Western Kentucky University and a Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of North Texas.
