B. Michelle Harris

Dr. B. Michelle Harris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Nursing and Nutrition at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), within the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences. She serves as Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics Program since 2018.

• Ph.D. in Nutrition, University of Maryland
• M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health/Public Health, Harvard University
• M.S. in Human Nutrition and Food Science, Framingham State University
• B.A. in Chemistry, College of the Holy Cross

Her research focuses on health disparities, maternal and child health, and community-based nutrition interventions, with specific emphasis on HIV/AIDS, minority health, women's health, and recruitment of minority research participants. She has pioneered student retention strategies at HBCUs and developed innovative approaches to virtual nutrition education during pandemics.

Dr. Harris holds multiple leadership roles including Chairperson of the College Tenure and Promotion Committee and Founding Chairperson of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences at UDC. Her work intersects with public health policy through her 2017-2024 membership on the District of Columbia Department of Health's Board of Long-Term Care Administration.

• Honorary Award, National Society of Collegiate Scholars (2018)
• Toastmaster of the Year, Agricultural Research Center Toastmaster Club (2014-15)
• Advisor of the Year, The Society of Minorities in Agriculture (2012)

She has secured grants for food waste reduction programs, obesity research in urban adolescents, diabetes studies in African-American women, and scholarships for disadvantaged students through the Department of Health and Human Services.