During her 35-year career in Colorado State University’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Mary Harris served as a professor and director of the undergraduate program, a leading researcher, and a friend to many. Now, she is being recognized as a College of Health and Human Sciences Legacies Project honoree for her many outstanding contributions to the success of the college.
Harris’s journey at CSU began in 1985 when she applied for an assistant professor position in food science and human nutrition, conducting research on omega-3 fatty acids in animal and human clinical trials. This led Harris to a career-long investigation into omega-3 nutrition in pregnancy.
At CSU, Harris continually advocated for research expansion within women’s health and at CSU, speaking to the U.S. Congress and anyone else that was willing to listen. On of her many achievements was the growth of the dietetics program.
“During her long and productive career at CSU, Mary Harris was an influential researcher and voice for the importance of consuming omega-3s during pregnancy and she was instrumental in starting a dietetic internship program,” said Dean Lise Youngblade. “She was also a beloved mentor and friend to numerous students and colleagues. We are thrilled to be able to honor her many contributions through the Legacies Project.”
Beginnings in education
Early in her educational journey, Harris set her eyes on Michigan State where she studied nutrition. Following graduation, Harris moved to Boston where she completed a master’s degree in nutrition at Framingham State University and worked at the New England Medical Center, which is now a part of Tufts University.
A couple years down the road, Harris was ready to begin working toward a Ph.D. in biological sciences at Rhode Island University, where she taught for two years, and developed an intrinsic love for teaching.
Harris returned to Boston in 1982 to complete a post-doc at Tufts in ophthalmology. While at an annual ophthalmology conference, she discovered an emerging research area of omega-3 fatty acids and retinal function. On a visit to CSU, Harris recognized the opportunity for collaboration with a fatty acid research group. She decided to leave the world of ophthalmology research and return to her nutrition roots to study omega-3 fatty acids.
Impact as a professor
In addition to Harris’ robust research program on omega-3 nutrition in pregnancy, she was charged with teaching courses on Maternal Child Nutrition, Nutrition Communications, and Clinical Nutrition, as well as developing a dietetic internship program for dietetics students.
Harris partnered with fellow Legacies Project honoree and Professor Emerita Jennifer Anderson, to direct and launch an experiential learning program for master’s students. The goal was to provide master’s dietetics students with a nine-month-long experience in clinical settings, community nutrition settings, and food service settings so that they would be eligible to become registered dietitians.
Harris and Anderson not only developed the experiential program, but they were able to turn it into an accredited program at the master’s level. At the time, few institutions had a similar program in place. Their collective work set the stage for what is now the national model for graduate education and internship requirements for dieticians.
In addition to serving as the co-director of the Clinical Internship Program, Harris served as the director of the undergraduate programs for nutrition students. In this role, she coached students through the process of course selection, the importance of maintaining GPAs and getting the right internship and volunteer experiences to achieve future career goals.
Beneficial changes for the future
The work and research that Harris conducted not only impacted CSU, but it effectively changed dietician programs and altered the way that pre-birth nutrition is prescribed.
Her work with researchers at CSU and other researchers across the United States and in Europe demonstrated that omega-3s decrease the risk of pre-term birth. Harris was also instrumental in getting omega-3s into prenatal vitamins. During her career, Mary testified before Congress and worked with the USDA and FDA to change misleading advisory warnings of fish and mercury consumption during pregnancy.
To celebrate her commitment to mentorship, Harris is launching the Mary Harris and Stephanie Smith Mentorship Fund in Food Science and Human Nutrition in the fall of 2023. The program seeks to assist first-year students by putting them on a pathway to persist through the major, graduate on time, and go on to a successful career. The named fund also honors Stephanie Smith, a former student of Harris’s whose life was tragically cut short by cancer. Read more about Smith and the scholarship created in her name by her parents Carl and Laine Smith.
The fund will help create mentorship circles that include a faculty mentor, a graduate student mentor, and upperclassmen mentors, all of whom will work with first-year mentees.
A leader and a friend
“She was always willing to sit down and talk with you about things and be very real with you,” said Brittney Sly, assistant professor in the department and former student of Harris’s. “Even from the first meeting, I got that feeling from her and she instantly inspired me to want to be a registered dietician.”
Harris was always quick to encourage those around her. “It always meant something coming from her because she was such an amazing encyclopedia of knowledge and this renowned professional, for her to be like ‘no, you’re worth it and you can contribute in your own way,’” said Sly. “That confidence she gave me really contributed toward me moving forward in my career.”
“Mary was very dedicated to teaching undergraduate students and preparing them to be registered dieticians, it was a passion for her,” said Susan Baker, professor in the department.
After a 35-year career at CSU, the impact that Harris had on the community is profound.
“My legacy at CSU is all those graduates that are now in positions just like I was,” said Harris. “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.”
Harris’s outstanding legacy of leadership is recognized through the College of Health and Human Sciences Legacies Project. To watch a video about Harris and to make a gift in her honor, go to her Legacies webpage. Donations will go toward the Mary Harris and Stephanie Smith Mentorship Fund in FSHN, assisting first-year students by putting them on a path to persist through the FSHN majors, graduate on time, and go on to have a successful career. Harris was honored at the Legacy and Leaders event on March 30, 2023.
About the Legacies Project
The College of Health and Human Sciences Legacies Project honors the personal and professional histories of former faculty, staff, and alumni of the College. The project has highlighted the achievements of our honorees and preserved their stories since 2012.
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
