Dr. Pheather R. Harris
My name is Dr. Pheather R. Harris, and I believe that how we contextualize someone else's journey has the power to change the entire direction of their life. What we say to, and about, one another matters.
That belief was born from my own journey in education. As a first-generation college student who was once told she would never be accepted into college, I understand what it means to find your voice, change the narrative, and exceed every expectation and assumption placed upon you. That reframing took me from the University of Southern California, where I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Communication, to Harvard University, where I earned a Master's in Education, and finally to The George Washington University, where I completed my Doctorate in Higher Education Administration.
I developed The Pheather Method to create a structured approach to academic writing that centers your unique voice and lived experience. My book, The Pheather Method: A Story of Inspiration and a Writing Method for Success, is both a personal memoir and a practical guide that offers readers a clear framework for writing with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.
My work in higher education has been recognized by the American Society for Engineering Education with the prestigious ASEE DuPont Award. My research has been published and presented at leading national conferences and peer-reviewed journals, including ASEE, AERA, and CoNECD. I am also the recipient of the CBCRR Ella Baker Leading Light Award from the University of California, Irvine, the Order of Troy from the University of Southern California, and am an IASPIRE National Science Foundation Fellow.
Education
The George Washington University
Higher Education Administration, Ed.D.
Designed for working professionals,the research-focused EdD in Higher Education Administration program prepares aspiring educational leaders for senior and executive positions within the field. This doctoral program emphasizes leadership development, critical thinking, and research skills that are essential for cultivating scholarly identities, inquiry-driven learners, critically reflective practitioners, and socially just practices.Taught by a faculty of renowned experts, the curriculum is centered on the practical application of theory and research, with a focus on addressing current challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions today.
Harvard University
Risk and Prevention, Ed.M.
This program is dedicated to the practical application of contemporary research on risk, resilience, and prevention programming for children and adolescents in both school and out-of-school settings.
The University of Southern California
Communication, B.A.
Magna Cum Laude
This program is designed to provide students with a framework and critical understanding about how messages are informed, created, distributed and understood. Students explore social, cultural, rhetorical, and organizational communication processed to participate in, and critique ever-evolving power structures in education, politics, management, technology, entertainment, government, and nongovernmental institutions.
Publications
Harris, P. R., & Adams, T. N., & Lee, S. (2025, June), WIP Engaging Every Student: Understanding Faculty Perceptions of Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a 2 Year Professional Development Series Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--57358
Harris, P.R., Lee, S., Adams, T.N.G. (2024). Engaging Every Student: Understanding Faculty Perceptions of Access, Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in a 2 Year Professional Development Series. [Paper Presentation] 2025 ASEE, Montreal, Canada.
Harris, P.R., Cavazos, J.G., Adams, T.N.G., Affolter, E.A. (2025). Faculty Observational Analysis For Educational Repair: A Research Strategy to Advance Racial Equity in STEM Through Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. [Paper Presentation] 2025 AERA, Denver, CO, United States.
Harris, P.R., Adams, T.N.G. (2024). Establishing and Sustaining Inclusive Learning Communities for Supporting Faculty Creating More Inclusive Engineering Classrooms. [Paper Presentation] 2024 CoNECD, Arlington, VA, United States.
Harris, P.R., Nagle, B. (2023). Exploring the Relationship between Faculty Mentor Engagement and African American STEM Persistence. Journal of African American Studies.
Flores, G., Banuelos, M., Harris, P.R. (2023). “What are you Doing Here?”: Examining Minoritized Undergraduate Student Experiences in STEM at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Journal for STEM Education Research.
Harris, P.R., Delima, D.G., (2023, June 25-28). An NSF-Funded Professional Development Series for Advancing Inclusion at a Hispanic-Serving Institution [Paper Presentation]. 2023 ASEE: The Harbor of Engineering Education, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Flores, G., Banuelos, M, Harris, P.R., (2023, August 17-21). “What are you Doing Here?”: Examining Minoritized Undergraduate Student Experiences in STEM at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Journal for STEM Education Research. [Paper Presentation] 2023 ASA: The Educative Power of Sociology, Philadelphia, PA, United States.