Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris (he/him) comes to the Office of Diversity & Inclusion with more than 15 years of experience working in higher education, primarily in collegiate athletics. Harris served as the Athletics Diversity & Inclusion Designee (ADID) from 2019 to 2024. Harris developed and implemented departmental diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) strategies that promoted cultural competency, inclusive recruitment and hiring practices, employee engagement and retention, and high-quality leadership and professional development. Harris was also the chair of the department’s Inclusive Excellence Council (IEC), which focuses on DEIB training for staff and developing DEIB strategies for the Athletics Strategic Plan.
 
Harris’ comprehensive efforts resulted in multiple accolades, including his selection as the 2021 MOAA Charlie Whitcomb Service Award recipient and Arizona Athletics receiving an Honorable Mention for the 2021 NCAA/MOAA Award for Diversity. Harris was also selected as a NCAA/MOIC Champion of Diversity & Inclusion in 2024. This national award recognizes and celebrates individuals for their work throughout the community and on campus in supporting ethnic minorities and other underrepresented populations in intercollegiate athletics.
 
In addition to his professional role, Harris serves on the DIECE Athletics Executive Board. This professional organization offers consulting services to DEI sports professionals and provides recommendations for successfully building a culture of inclusive excellence.
 
Harris’ passion for diversity and inclusion was sparked as a first-generation college student at Western Kentucky University (WKU), where he served as President of the Black Student Alliance, an organization he later advised as a staff member. As a graduate student at WKU, Harris received the President’s Award for Diversity, recognizing a clear demonstration of leadership and achievement in promoting diversity at WKU and in the community.
 
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Harris received his bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and a master’s degree in Recreation and Sports Administration. He now resides in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, Dr. Alex Robie Harris their daughter, Adalynn Constance Harris.