Marian Harris, PhD

Marian S. Harris, PhD, LICSW, ACSW, is Professor Emeritus of Social Work, University of Washington Tacoma, School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and a nationally and internationally recognized child welfare researcher/scholar.

Dr. Harris graduated with a doctorate in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, MA and completed a two-year NIMH Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social Work. She does expert witness testimony in child welfare cases and has decades of experience in child welfare as a licensed independent clinical social worker, supervisor and administrator.

Other experiences includef ormer Consultant, U.S. Children’s Bureau and Casey Family Programs and former Faculty Associate, Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Appointed by the WA State Legislature to serve on WA State Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee; elected in 2007 to Co-Chair this committee and Chair-Research Sub-Committee. She was one of the researchers for the WA State Department of Corrections, five-year longitudinal study “Responsible Fatherhood Opportunities for Reentry and Mobility.” She is a member of the Coalition for Children of the Incarcerated in Washington State and previously served as Chair of the Public Policy Council, Children’s Alliance of Washington. Other volunteer service includes Board of Directors-Clinical Social Work Association and is Chair of the Racial Equity & Ethics Committee, National Citizens Review Panel Advisory Board, U.S. Children’s Bureau, Gender and Justice Committee and Family Law Committee, Washington State Gender and Justice Commission. She also serves on the Adjudication Panel, University of Washington.

Dr. Harris is a prolific writer who has written books, book chapters, journal articles, technical reports, training manuals, Op Eds, etc. She serves on the Editorial Board for the following: International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, Journal of Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Journal of Health and Social Policy, and Asian Social Science Journal. Recent awards: 2017 Distinguished Research Award- University of Washington Tacoma, 2018 Social Worker of the Year, Washington State Chapter-National Association of Social Workers. 2021 Social Justice Award, Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work, and 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, Professional Organization of Women of Power. Her most important role in life is being a good mother!