Michel Harris

Doctor Michel Harris started her career in January of 2000 as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for long-term care facilities. This was followed by positions as a food service manager, clinical inpatient dietitian, outpatient dietitian, and consultant for multiple organizations. In August of 2008 she started her teaching career as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater for food science courses and labs. Her discovered love for teaching led her to accept adjunct positions at Morton College, Roosevelt University's College of Pharmacy, and in 2015, Dominican University. After taking the 2016-2017 academic year off to take care of her newborn son who was born prematurely, she returned to Dominican as an adjunct instructor and preceptor in the dietetic internship program. In August of 2018, her dream of obtaining a full-time teaching position was met when becoming a lecturer in Dominican's nutrition department. Since then, she has enjoyed branching out from food science and teaching courses in food service, communications, and medical nutrition therapy. In the fall of 2023, she moved into the role of Assistant Professor and Director of the DPD program. Before transitioning into her full-time role, Doctor Harris became more interested in how her students could develop their cultural competence skills to meet the needs of the diverse populations they will serve in the future. She views cultural competence as an ongoing process that incorporates having a strong understanding of the health inequities and disparities faced by her students and the clients she works with in the outpatient setting. This has led to the development of a service-learning experience in New Orleans and surrounding communities, as well as multiple experiential activities in the classroom and the communities surrounding Dominican University. On a personal note, Dr. Harris resides in Chicago with her husband John and son Matthew. They enjoy taking road trips of all lengths and being outdoors. Dr. Harris also enjoys cooking for her family, reading, and crafting.