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Biography

Dr. Kandace L. Harris, with more than 15 years of experience in higher education, is extremely knowledgeable about an array of institutional priorities and best practices for teaching, learning, and preparing students for lifelong success. 

A media and communication studies scholar originally from Oakland, California, Dr. Harris is currently the interim assistant vice president of Undergraduate Studies at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In this role, her focus includes facilitating and administering curriculum development and approval processes, coordinating, and supporting academic advisement, leading the General Education Honors program, supporting faculty through Faculty Development, and implementing and managing academic policies. 

Dr. Harris previously served as the associate dean in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication at CSUN and has served as an administrator at three HBCUs. Her most recent honors include selection as a 2022 HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Fellow and being recognized as a 2019 Pearls of Purpose Foundation, Inc.'s “Women Making a Difference: Sustaining the Legacy of HBCUs” Honoree. Also, Dr. Harris is a 2016 recipient of the Rex Crawley Outstanding Service Award from the National Communication Association’s Black Caucus. In 2019, she co-edited the book Being Mara Brock Akil: Representations of Black Womanhood on Television. 

Dr. Harris holds triple degrees from Howard University and is one of the first graduates to receive a Ph.D. in mass communications & media studies. Her servant leadership to her alma mater was recognized with a 2018 Crystal Bison Award from the Howard University Department of Alumni Relations and the 2018 and 2020 Region Chair of the Year Award. Dr. Harris has raised over $300k in scholarships for Howard students. In 2022, she was elected president of the Howard University Alumni Association.