Faculty and Staff Directory

Introduction

Marian S. Harris, PhD, MSW, LICSW, ACSW is Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, and Adjunct Professor, University of Washington, School of Social Work, Seattle, WA. Dr. Harris received her PhD from Smith College School for Social Work and completed a two-year NIMH Post-Doctoral Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social Work. She serves on the Board of Directors, Clinical Social Work Association, Race, Equity and Inclusion Citizen’s Review Panel, WA State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents and Board of Trustees, Children’s Home Society of Washington and is a volunteer partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, VA.

Dr. Harris is a nationally and internationally known child welfare researcher/scholar whose work focuses on the mother-child attachment relationship, adult attachment typology, childhood trauma, kinship care, racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare, and children of incarcerated parents. Dr. Harris is the author of varied journal articles, newspaper articles, books, book chapters, reports, Op Eds, and book reviews. She serves on the editorial board for several social work journals.

Some of Dr. Harris’ prior experiences include Faculty Associate, University of Chicago, Chapin Hall Center for Children, Adjunct Professor & Research Adviser, Smith College School for Social Work, Consultant Reviewer for the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Inaugural Co-Chair, WA State Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee and Inaugural Vice Chair, City of Tacoma Citizen’s Review Panel, Tacoma Police Department. Dr. Harris has received a variety of awards for her research/scholarship, teaching, and professional service. Most recent awards are: 2017, Distinguished Research Award, University of Washington Tacoma, 2018 Social Worker of the Year Award, Washington State Chapter, National Association of Social Workers, 2021 Social Justice Award, Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work, 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award & Woman of the Month (November 2021), Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized (P.O.W.E.R). She has dedicated her career to supporting vulnerable and oppressed populations with a major focus on children and families involved with the child welfare and other systems including the criminal justice system.