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Fulfilling the mission
Posted on Aug 07, 2025
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Clarissa Harris, Ph.D., was named to the Meat Institute’s Class of 2025 Emerging Leaders.
Dr. George Washington Carver notably said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”
A scientific pioneer, Carver transformed the agricultural economy and paved the way for future scientists and educators like Clarissa Harris, whose path led to Tuskegee University.
The Montezuma, Georgia, native grew up in a small town but quickly learned the significance of education, research and service – the core principles of the land-grant university mission – as she advanced through secondary school and higher education. Several of her relatives graduated from Fort Valley State University (FVSU), including her father, who earned a degree in education.
Harris first attended Georgia Southwestern State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology but then decided to continue the family tradition at FVSU. She transferred to the historically Black university in 2007.
“I wanted to be a medical doctor,” Harris said. “In high school, I was involved in FFA and 4-H. I knew it was beneficial, but I didn’t know what direction and how.”
While at FVSU, she discovered new possibilities like the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance Program, which broadened her perspective on agricultural research. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and then became interested in the food sector. She recognized that a master’s degree in biotechnology aligned with her career goals to be a scientist and educator.
“I did an internship at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington,” Harris said. “I was paired with a scientist. One thing that stuck with me was he said with research, he can stop at one point and can always pick up where he left off on the next day.”
Harris observed the scientist’s joy in the work that he had done, which greatly influenced her research efforts. In addition to this collaborative opportunity, she said FVSU offered an amazing learning experience. She joined the National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter and learned that there is more than meets the eye with agriculture.
Working with her adviser, Dr. Ajit Mahapatra, Harris studied using spray washing solutions to reduce bacteria in goat meat.
“That project helped open that door to go into animal science for food safety,” she said.
After earning her master’s degree in 2013, Harris worked for a year as an Extension assistant under Dr. James Brown, program leader for FVSU’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Program.
“He introduced me to Extension. I’m glad that I was able to work professionally in that setting, doing outreach with constituents in the community and planning events,” Harris said.
Brown also encouraged her to pursue a doctorate by telling her that she was capable. Believing in herself, she decided to continue her education at the University of Florida (UF) in the spring of 2015.
The knowledge she gained at FVSU prepared her for this rewarding endeavor, where she organized the graduate student symposium and helped with the beef cattle Extension short course.
She earned her Ph.D. in animal science in 2020 – the second African American to graduate from the UF program. Helping to pave that path like the person before her, Harris shared that another FVSU alumna came behind her to earn a Ph.D. in the same program.
Her message to students is to be open to all opportunities, and with a good support system, they can overcome any obstacle. Her supporters are family, professors and UF adviser Dr. Sally Williams.
“She was the only African American faculty member in the Department of Animal Science at UF,” Harris said. “She was the first African American graduate of the food science Ph.D. program at UF.”
The FVSU alumna made her way to Tuskegee University in 2021. She is a research Extension assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Honoring the land-grant mission, Harris is a researcher, educator and Extension professional. She teaches two courses – meat and meat products and advanced meat sciences. Her outreach and education efforts include offering a fabrication workshop on studying different cuts of meat and serving as a MANRRS adviser. Her research interests are food safety and microbiology. She also plans to visit FVSU, which has a meat judging team, to learn more about establishing a team at Tuskegee University.
“The reward is knowing that I can guide students to their passions and going into the meat industry sector. Some of them now work for different companies, and I have students interested in pursuing their master’s in meat science,” she said.
In 2024, the Meat Institute selected 24 participants for its 2025 Emerging Leaders Program, which promotes and develops future meat and poultry industry leaders. Harris was among this esteemed group. Sponsored by Cryovac Brand Food Packaging, this program provides the leaders with complimentary access to networking events, exclusive leadership programming including an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C, a personal industry mentor to guide them on their leadership journey, and access to Meat Institute board meetings for better understanding of broad industry initiatives and priorities.
Harris said she could not have imagined she would be where she is today.
“I have a picture of my sister and me with my grandfather standing beside a deer that we were getting ready to process,” she described. “I never in a million years thought I would be doing some of the same things.”
The Emerging Leader said her greatest reward is knowing she has helped others.
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