Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Alexes Harris, professor of sociology, to the Board of Regents, effective Oct. 21, 2022. Harris becomes the first to hold the new Faculty Regent position on the Board.
鈥淚 am excited and thankful to have been appointed by Governor Inslee to the first Faculty Regent position for the 天美影视传媒,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚 am a first-generation student from Seattle who graduated from the UW in 1997. My educational experiences created my path towards a fulfilling research career.鈥�
Harris joined the UW Department of Sociology faculty in 2004 and her research investigates how contact with varying institutions 鈥� educational, juvenile and criminal legal, and economic 鈥� impact individuals鈥� opportunities in life.聽She has also served as the UW Faculty Athletics Representative since July 2019, and as a Special Assistant to the Provost as Director of the Faculty Development Program at the UW, since April 2021.
鈥淎lexes has broad influence inside and outside the UW and is a fantastic choice to be the UW鈥檚 inaugural Faculty Regent,鈥� UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. 鈥淪he is an extremely active scholar whose teaching and whose research on inequities in the justice system is driving needed change. And she鈥檚 done all this while also supporting and empowering underrepresented faculty through her leadership of the聽聽and student-athletes through her work as Faculty Athletics Representative. I look forward to continuing to work with Alexes as she takes on this new role.鈥�
The UW Board of Regents was expanded to 11 members earlier this year when the Faculty Regent position was approved by the Washington Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Inslee. The Faculty Regent was selected by the Governor from a group of three candidates recommended by the UW鈥檚 Faculty Senate and will serve a three-year term. The rest of the Board comprises nine members on six-year terms and one Student Regent who serves a one-year term. All members are appointed by the Governor.
鈥淎s a professor at the UW I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful students, staff and colleagues. I’ve also found the support to translate and share my research findings with our broader Washington state community and become a public scholar,鈥� Harris said.聽鈥淚 couldn’t be more proud to work with our Regents to help guide and shape our University and continue to provide similar opportunities to current and future students and faculty.鈥�