JESSICA A. HARRIS

About me

My name is Jessica A. Harris, pronouns are she/her/hers, I bring over a decade of experience in STEM education and public outreach. I have supported students to achieve educational outcomes at Space Telescope Science Institute as the Education Outreach Specialist and Director of the Space Astronomy Summer Program (SASP).

In addition, I led public advocacy initiatives to drive change in programming efforts at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) as the STEAM Education Program Development Officer and site lead for the National Astronomy Consortium (NAC). Most recently, I was the Program Director for the Clark Scholars Program at the University of Virginia (UVA) in the Engineering School in Charlottesville.

I am the Founder and CEO of Jessica A. Harris, LLC, a consulting firm focused on three pillars:

• Diversity, racial equity, and inclusion

• Education and public outreach

• Auntie Jess Mentoring Program

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I am currently the Chair of the Human Rights Commission in the City of Charlottesville and serve as an outside expert on the National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) Advisory Council. I am a proud alumna of two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I obtained my B.S. in physics from Grambling State University and an M.A. in physics from Fisk University as part of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program.