Michael Harris (academic)

Michael Harris
Born	Michael Harris (1956-01-06) January 6, 1956 Johannesburg, South Africa
Nationality	United States and Israel
Alma mater	Bar-Ilan University Tel Aviv University Indiana University
Occupation	Dean and Professor at Tennessee State University
Spouse(s)	Tali Harris
Children	Ronen, Asaf, Amit
Website	http://www.tnstate.edu/cpsua/people/harris.aspx

Michael Harris (born January 6, 1956) is an Israeli-American political scientist and university administrator. He is currently Dean of and Professor at the College of Public Service and Urban Affairs at Tennessee State University.^[1]

Education and early career

Born in South Africa, Michael Harris immigrated with his family to Israel as a child. He is married to Tali Harris and has three sons, Ronen, Asaf, and Amit.

Harris holds a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from Bar-Ilan University (1982), a master's degree in Public Policy from Tel-Aviv University (1986), and a Ph.D. in public policy from Indiana University (1993). After initially specializing in electoral politics and public policy, Harris' current research focuses on academic decision-making and developing learner-centered curricula within universities to improve student performance outcomes.

Dr. Harris served in the Israel Defense Forces and retired at the rank of major with active combat experience.^[2]

Leadership and academic career

Harris is Dean of and Professor at the College of Public Service and Urban Affairs at Tennessee State University.^[1]

From 2010 to 2012, Harris served as the sixth Chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo and a Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Business, and Education.^[3][2][4][5] Harris led IU Kokomo through the process of adding 10 new degree programs to the Kokomo campus.^[6] Harris instituted online classes and increased the number of Friday classes offered. He also developed an athletic program. The first two sports (women’s volleyball and men’s basketball) led the university to a full offering of an athletic program with joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 2012. In January 2012, under the leadership of Michael Harris, IU Kokomo received a $1.25 million gift from Milt and Jean Cole to fund a new wellness and fitness center.^[7] At the time, this was the largest cash gift ever received on IU's Kokomo campus.^[8] The new facility; The Milt and Jean Cole Family Wellness and Fitness Center, opened in August, 2013.

He also served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan from 2007 to 2010.^[9][10] Harris was the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Ferris State University (2004-2007),^[11] a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and subsequently Associate Provost at Eastern Michigan University (1994–2004),^[12] and a faculty member in the Graduate Program of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University (1993-1994).^[2]

In 2012, the Hebrew-language newspaper, Maariv, named Harris as the most successful Israeli academic working outside of Israel.^[13][14] The Kokomo Perspective also named him their Person of the Year for 2011.^[15][16] He also received the Best in Class 2009 Award from the Keen Entrepreneurship Education Network and a Honorary Doctorate in Educational Administration from Ave Maria College.^[17][18]

In 2015, Dr. Harris worked with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to develop a unique certificate program, known as the Public Administration Executive Leadership Certificate or “Command College”. In addition, he was named as a Consultant to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.^[19]

Published works

• The Learner-Centered Curriculum: Design and Implementation (with R. Cullen and R. Hill). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2012. ISBN 978-1118049556
• Leading the Learner-Centered Campus: An Administrator's Framework for Improving Student Learning Outcomes (with R. Cullen). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. ISBN 978-0470402986
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship in State and Local Government (ed. with R. Kinney). Lexington Books, 2003. ISBN 978-0739109267
• Term Limits (with G. Doron). Lexington Books, 2001. ISBN 978-0739102138
• Public Policy and Electoral Reform: The Case of Israel (with G. Doron). Lexington Books, 2000. ISBN 978-0739101346

References