Jessica Harris

Jessica Harris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Education & Information Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice from Occidental College. Her research agenda centers on racial in/equity in postsecondary contexts, encompassing three primary strands: multiraciality in higher education, women of color and campus sexual assault, and the mis/use of theory to advance racial equity. Drawing on Critical Race Theory and intersectionality, Harris analyzes how racism and intersecting systems of domination, such as sexism, influence the experiences of People of Color in U.S. education. Her work examines campus climates, microaggressions, institutional responses to sexual violence, and the limitations of race-neutral policies in addressing the needs of minoritized students.

Harris's scholarship includes the 2024 book Hear Our Stories: Campus Sexual Violence, Intersectionality, and How We Build a Better University, published by Stanford University Press, based on interviews with women of color survivors across multiple campuses. Selected peer-reviewed publications feature Un/doing intersectionality through higher education research (Journal of Higher Education, 2019), Toward a critical multiracial theory in education (International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2016), Multiracial college students’ experiences with multiracial microaggressions (Race Ethnicity and Education, 2017), Women of Color undergraduate students’ experiences with campus sexual assault: An intersectional analysis (Review of Higher Education, 2020), and Multiracial faculty members’ experiences with teaching, research, and service (Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2020). She has earned the 2020 Association for the Study of Higher Education Early Career Award, 2020 American Educational Research Association Division J Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award, 2020 National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2021 NASPA Outstanding Publication Award, and 2017 ACPA Emerging Scholar Award. Her contributions have advanced critical discussions on intersectional approaches to equity in higher education institutions.

Professional Email: jharris@seis.ucla.edu