Wesley L. Harris, Sr.

Armstrong High, Richmond (1960) 
Aerospace Engineering

At Armstrong High, Dr. Wesley Harris excelled in academics and athletics and was Student Council President in his senior year. While excelling in all of his classes, he was particularly gifted in the areas of science and mathematics. In 1964, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Virginia. He received a Masters (1966) and a Ph.D. (1968), both in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences, from Princeton University. He served as Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Tennessee’s Space Institute (UTSI) and as Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. In 1995 he was named a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His long career at MIT includes selection as the Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Department Head. In addition, he has been a champion of diversity efforts. He has created methods for measuring and improving student achievement and initiating programs that meet the needs of Black students. Dr. Harris has served on various boards and committees, including the National Research Council, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Science Board.  He has been a role model for many youth, especially those seeking careers in STEM.