Professor of Sociology Alexes Harris, who holds the Presidential Term Professorship, has been appointed to serve as the University’s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR).
In this role, she will help ensure that the University of Washington’s athletics programs are closely aligned with our core educational mission, safeguarding our student-athletes’ well-being and maintaining the academic integrity of our intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with NCAA rules.
Harris is an award-winning teacher and scholar with a deep commitment to equity. Her body of research on inequality and race in the American justice system has transformed the national conversation and she has earned numerous recognitions, including the UW Distinguished Teaching Award.
She has been appointed to serve on several federal advisory boards, including the Office of Justice Programs Science Advisory Board and the National Task Force on Fines and Fees, and Bail Practice. She has also been called to testify for numerous state and federal governing bodies about inequalities in the criminal justice system and sentencing.
Harris has worked with UW Athletics as a member of the Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics since 2011 and served as the Chair since 2014. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, and her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.