Victor William Harris, PhD

Philosophy

I consider the mentoring of students to be one of my primary roles as an educator. I appreciate the trust placed in me to guide students toward transformative change and growth in their personal lives, as well as in their academic and career pursuits. 

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Teaching

Part of my mentoring role includes helping students learn to teach family life education topics, such as Couple and Relationship Research (CRR) and Couple and Relationship Education (CRE) topics, effectively. I work carefully with students to help them learn the art and science of effective instruction. I also provide CRE teacher trainings and workshops for professionals working in the field who want to refine their skills or learn additional teaching methods. Another aspect of my mentoring role includes training undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants for the professional world by providing ongoing teacher training opportunities so they can feel successful in any instructional setting. Skills they develop include how to successfully prepare and deliver a presentation according to instructional best practices, how to effectively manage group process, and how to track and assess teacher target skills and student learning outcomes.

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Research

Part of my mentoring role includes helping graduate and undergraduate students both in and out of the classroom learn to conduct research effectively and to present their research at professional conferences. I take this role seriously as I meet with them weekly to discuss and assess their progress using quantitative, qualitative, theoretical, mixed, and programmatic research methods.

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Summary of Co-Authored Student Refereed Publications (selected)

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1. Vasquez, T., Moss, C., Harris, V.W., & Visconti, B. (2023). Are you satisfied? Examining positive interaction and satisfaction in romantic relationships. Journal of Family Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X231172286

2. Nesbit, T.S., Harris, V.W., Visconti, B., Sewell, C.B., Fogarty, K., Duncan, J.C., LaMontagne, L. & Nelson, N. (2023). Lessons from the field. Continuous quality improvement: A multiyear HMRF year case study of best practices in outreach program excellence. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12826

3. Oropeza, O., & Harris, V. W. (2023). Protective factors for sexual and gender minoritized youth. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(3), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.103.14194

4. Park, C., & Harris, V.W. (2022). The impact of attachment styles on attitudes toward marriage: The mediating role of emotional intimacy. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807221124271

5. Hensley, S., & Harris, V. W. (2022). Impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on families: A family systems perspective. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(7), 230–238. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12679

6. Harris, V.W., & Anderson, J., & Visconti, B. (2022). Social emotional ability development (SEAD): An integrated model of practical emotion-based competencies. Journal of Motivation and Emotion. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-021-09922-1 Download https://rdcu.be/cEA2Q (5 yr. Impact Factor (3.534)

7. Schmeer A., Harris, V.W., Forthun, L., Valcante, G., & Visconti, B. (2021). Through the eyes of a child: What life is like for siblings of siblings with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 119(1), 104066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104066

8. Álvarez-Pérez, P., Harris, V.W., & Peyna, S. (2021, February). Personal social networks as a superdiversity dimension: Qualitative approach with second-generation Americans. Current Sociology, 1-31. Published in English, French, Spanish; Castilian. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392120983342

9. Álvarez-Pérez, P., Peláez, A.L., & Harris, V.W. (2021). Methodological pathways to portray superdiversity: A few concluding thoughts. Current Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00113921211021939 (Impact Factor 1.647)

10. Peláez, A.L., Álvarez-Pérez, P., & Harris, V.W. (2021). Superdiversity: New paths for social science in the upcoming future. Current Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00113921211021934 (Impact Factor 1.647)

11. Álvarez-Pérez, P., Relinque-Medina, F., Vázquez-Aguado, O., Fernández-Borrero, M., & Harris, V.W. (2021). What are social workers currently doing to positively impact how people access public housing services in Spain? Sage Open, 11(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211003086 (Impact Factor 1.54)

12. Hogan, M., & Harris, V.W. (2021). How the lack of a universal definition of childhood neglect is negatively impacting U.S. families. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 4(12), 3964-3969. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v4-i12-71

13. Moen, D., Harris, V. W., & Jecha, M. (2021). Student preference of problem-based learning in teams. National Social Science Journal, 56(2).

14. Harris, V.W., & Harris, H. (2020). Toward a start-to-finish cross-disciplinary instructional model for national and international higher education. World Journal of Education, 10(2), 141-149. DOI: 10.5430/wje.v10n2p141

15. Rama, C.R., Harris, V.W., Speegle, K., Nelson, N., Moen, D., & Harris, H.J. (2020). Familismo: How eight categories of needs are met in Hispanic American families within the context of familism. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7), 348-370. DOI https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.77.8641

16. Harris, V.W., Visconti, B., Sewell, B., Cantrell, R., & Anderson, J. (2019). Southern romance: Relationship quality, consensus, and context among cohabiting couples in the Gulf States. Journal of Marriage and Family Review, DOI: 10.1080/01494929.2019.1655518

17. Harris, V.W., Visconti, B., Sewell, C.B., Cantrell, R., Anderson, J., & Toelle, S. (2019). The state of our unions: Exploring relationship quality among dyadic couple homeowners. Journal of Marriage and Family Review, DOI: 10.1080/01494929.2019.1630047

18. Harris, V.W., Speegle, K., Moen, D., & Brooker, H. (2018). Teaching “less” better in higher education: A case study for exploring target skills and learning outcomes. Journal of Family Science Review, 22(3), 14-40.

19. Harris, V.W., Kumaran, M., Harris, H., Moen, D., & Visconti, B. (2018). Assessing multicultural competence (knowledge and awareness) in study abroad experiences. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2017.1421901

20. Caudill, D. , & Harris, V.W. (2018). Together or apart: Practical and theoretical considerations for determining when to keep foster siblings together or to separate them. Social Science Learning Education Journal, 3(5), 60-66. https://doi.org/10.15520/sslej.v3i5.2155

21. Hamilton, L. , & Harris, V.W. (2018). Beyond expectations: From foster children to foster parents. International Journal of Education, 10(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v10i1.12147

22. Miller, L.A. , & Harris, V.W. (2018). I can’t be racist—I teach in an urban school, and I’m a nice white lady! World Journal of Education, 8(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v8n3p1

23. Nourie, A., & Harris, V.W. (2018). An intersectional feminist perspective on LGBTQ youth in foster care: Implications for service providers. World Journal of Education, 8(4), 177-187. https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v8n4p177

24. Zhang, Y., Harris, V.W., Diehl, D., King, S.M., Schmeer, A., & Speegle, K.C. (2018). Life-changing decisions: Exploring proximal and distal motivations behind why American parents adopt domestically or internationally. Global Journal of Human Social Science Research, 18(7), 1-14.

25. Harris, V.W., Schmeer, A., & Speegle, K. (2017). Mapping pedagogy, learning outcomes, and effect size in relationship education. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 5(1), 1-19.

26. Harris, V.W., Speegle, K., & Schmeer, A. (2016). Teaching as an intervention: Evaluating 9 skills of communication in an Extension learning environment. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 4(1), 139-158.

27. Harris, V.W., Bedard, K. &, Moen, D., & Álvarez-Pérez (2016). The role of friendship, trust, and love in happy German marriages. Journal of Marriage and Family Review, 52(3), 262-304.

28. Vázquez-Aguado, O., Fernández-Borrero, M.A., Álvarez-Pérez, P., & Harris, V.W. (2015). Spanish-Moroccan families in a context of family diversity in Spain; Challenges for the construction of interculturalism. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 3(1), 22-35.

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