USD Magazine Summer 2015

TORERO  NEWS

James T. Harris III, DEd, takes the reins as USD president in August. He says that the transformative power of education is one of the great forces in the world today.

Incoming President James Harris believes in higher education [ p e r s o n a b l e ] COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE

both actively involved with local unions, would solicit door to door for the United Way, my dad gave blood on a regular basis. So, the sense of community came from my family. Because of them, I can step into the shoes of those who are less fortunate.” His interest in higher education stems from his own college exper- ience. “Three very important things happened to me during that time: I found my faith and converted to Roman Catholicism when I was in college. I found my vocation and fell in love with the idea of teaching. And I found the love of life, my wife. The three things that transformed me as a man, and as a leader, all came from my time in college. So I’ve seen the transformative power of education first-hand.” Harris is both pragmatic and optimistic when it comes to the challenges facing USD at this juncture. “There are really three areas: It’s about accountability, affordability and accessibility,” he says. “But it really all starts with us: What values bring us together as an academic com- munity as we develop a vision for the future of USD? I’m really looking forward to having that conversation. The first step is to listen to a diverse group of peo- ple who care about USD’s future and then to work in partnership with them to achieve our full potential as one of the nation’s great Catholic universities.”

NICK ABADILLA

by Julene Snyder

W

hile the 20-page curriculum vitae of James T. Harris III, DEd,

Harris —who succeeds retiring University of San Diego President Mary E. Lyons, PhD, this summer — says that accepting the offer to become the university’s next president was a no-brainer. “In many ways, it was love at first sight. USD’s Catholic identity — along with the need to have a leader who believes in the uni- versity’s Catholic identity — is a great fit. When coupled with USD’s social justice mission, it all really resonated with who I am and the values that I hold dear.” In conversation, Harris has a

tendency to twinkle, and truly conveys that his full attention is focused right here, right now. A first-generation college graduate, he says that social justice is a theme that echoes throughout his career, which most recently saw him serving as president of Widener Univer- sity in Pennsylvania for more than a decade. His blue-collar parents re- inforced lessons learned from his paternal grandmother, who taught him the principles of being a good citizen. “They were

is an impressive document, what’s even more notable than his many, many professional accomplishments is the deeply personable way he interacts with the people around him. “He is really the most genuine person I know. Everything about him is true,” says his wife, Mary, when asked to describe her husband’s attributes. “If he says something, he means it. If he laughs, he means it. It’s all real.”

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USD MAGAZINE