President Dr. Abria Harris's Leadership Goals
November 2023
“I’ve seen the programmatic impact of UTeach as an alum and now as a Master Teacher. I want to expand the reach, collaboration, and inclusivity of UTeach through USEA.”
Dr. Abria Harris joined the USEA Executive Board as Vice President / President Elect in June 2023. In that role, he works collaboratively with the USEA President, Dr. Mariam Manuel, to implement USEA’s strategic initiatives and fulfill any other duties assigned by the Board.
Dr. Harris is a graduate of FSU-Teach at Florida State University. After working as a middle school mathematics teacher and district mathematics instructional specialist, he has returned to FSU-Teach as a Master Teacher. His experiences as a UTeach student, graduate, and faculty member give him perspective on how UTeach and USEA can have an even larger impact on teacher preparation and STEM education than they already do, and he is dreaming big.
Dr. Harris sees two of the most urgent issues to address in STEM education as “resource constraints and equity.” USEA leaders — on the Board and throughout the UTeach network — work together to find approaches to these issues, and Dr. Harris wants to expand what we think we can do.
Some USEA working groups are already addressing resource constraints for both UTeach programs and UTeach graduates who are currently teaching in K–12 classrooms. For example, the Recruitment Working Group is dedicated to finding new ways to recruit undergraduates into UTeach programs, relieving programs of the need to create resources in a vacuum. The Professional Development and Induction Working Group facilitates the creation of professional development opportunities for UTeach Master Teachers and UTeach alumni.
Dr. Harris also hopes to find more fiscal resources to support our growing community, including UTeach STEM Educators Conference attendance for alumni, scholarships for students, and additional professional development opportunities. As programs move out of the grant period, they may need more resources as well.
Addressing equity in STEM education is complex because, as Dr. Harris says, “The concept of ‘equity’ can be viewed from a number of perspectives.” In this, Dr. Harris wants to open dialogue between members of the UTeach network and STEM educators outside the network. If we are to truly make an impact on inclusivity and diversity, we cannot do it alone: “Meaningful, broad change can only come by fostering positive collaborations with outside organizations.” One of Dr. Harris's goals is to lead investigation into potential external organization and industry partners who can join us in this work.
The USEA Strategic Plan outlines these goals and others, and Dr. Harris wants to hold himself and the rest of the Executive Board accountable to that plan. He believes that developing strong leaders within USEA and in the UTeach network overall can make it possible for us to achieve these things.