Harris, Ndura Appointed to Campus Leadership Positions

UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange announced the appointments of Dr. Andrew Harris as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dr. Elavie Ndura as Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion.

Dr. Andrew Harris

Harris comes to UW Tacoma from San Francisco State University, where he has served as Dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts since 2016.

As the executive vice chancellor, Dr. Harris will serve as UW Tacoma’s chief academic officer, overseeing undergraduate and graduate education, academic and curriculum planning, faculty development and advancement, and the seven schools. Functions in his portfolio will include academic human resources, educational outreach, global affairs, the Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement, the Library and the Office of Research.

A historian with degrees from Pomona College and Stanford University, Dr. Harris also served as a dean at Keene State College in New Hampshire and as a faculty member and administrator at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

“I am inspired by UW Tacoma’s commitment to the city and the region, to the highest levels of its students’ achievement, and to the equity-driven educational outcomes that lie at the foundation of social mobility,” said Harris. “I am committed to supporting the campus’s efforts towards improving retention and enrollment growth, and to supporting both a sustainable academic program and an ethically just culture within the university.”

Harris will start in his new position on Sept. 1.

Dr. Elavie Ndura

Ndura comes to UW Tacoma from Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University), where she has served as the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Campus Diversity Officer. Prior to that she was the Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Gallaudet University, the nation’s leading educational institution serving the Deaf community. She spent 12 years at George Mason University as faculty in education and a presidential fellow for diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Ndura has a Bachelor of Humanities and Social Sciences in English language and literature from the University of Burundi, a Master of Education from the University of Exeter, a Doctor of Education from Northern Arizona University, and a graduate certificate in conflict resolution from George Mason University.

"I welcome, with deep gratitude and anticipation, the opportunity to join Chancellor Lange's leadership team and the UW Tacoma community,” said Ndura. “I look forward to working with students, staff, faculty, my leadership team colleagues, and community partners to realize demonstrable progress towards the priority goals outlined in the 2022 University of Washington Diversity Blueprint and to intentionally advance the objectives stipulated in the recent UW Tacoma campus climate survey."

Ndura will start in her new position remotely on August 1, and in person on September 1.