Harris named interim chair at UAPB
Anna Harris, Ph.D., has accepted the position as interim chair for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Her position is effective this semester. As a STEM education advocate, Harris has been a part of the UAPB community since 2009, according to a news release.
“Dr. Harris is committed to academic advancement and actively engages in public service initiatives, fostering a sense of community within and beyond the UAPB campus,” said UAPB Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander.
Harris received her Ph.D. in computational science and a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Hendrix College.
“Bringing a wealth of experience to her role, Harris has worked at the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) as a statistician, at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) as a system engineer and taught at Ridgway Christian School as a math chair,” according to the release.
She began at UAPB as an instructor and progressed through various professor roles to her current position. Her UAPB contributions included designing, developing, implementing and evaluating a Co-Requisite College Algebra lecture and lab courses to increase passing, retention and graduate rates of STEM majors.
“Dr. Harris is proficient in various computer programming languages, including Julia, R, Python, MATLAB, and Mathematica,” according to the release. “Her expertise in Data Science further enhances her ability to lead the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science effectively.”
Grant Wangila, Ph.D., interim dean for the UAPB School of Arts and Sciences, applauded her accomplishments.
“Her journey at UAPB reflects her dedication to academic excellence and her passion for nurturing student success,” Wangila said. “With a proven track record in grant awards, Dr. Harris has significantly impacted UAPB’s academic landscape. Her commitment to elevating the Calculus class and supporting STEM majors has made a lasting impression on students pursuing mathematics and computer science.”
As interim chair, Harris looks forward to building upon the progress initiated by her predecessors, Charles Colen and Karl Walker, and encouraging faculty to continue to provide quality instruction while maintaining high mathematics and computer science standards, according to the release.
“We invite you to congratulate and welcome Dr. Anna Harris as interim chair for the UAPB Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and learn more about the department at www.uapb.edu,” according to the release.