Bernard A. Harris, Jr.

Early life

Harris was born on June 26, 1956 in Temple, Texas. His parents were Bernard A. Harris, Sr. and Gussie Emanual Harris. His parents divorced when he was six years old. Seeing his father struggle to find work — having only had a tenth grade education — inspired Harris to pursue STEM.

Harris first became interested in being an astronaut after watching the Apollo 11 mission on TV in 1969 at 13 years old. With the help of his science teacher, he formed a science club and a rocket club with some other students.

Education

Harris graduated from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas, in 1974, where he was actively involved in science fairs, book clubs and other school activities. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Houston in 1978. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in 1982. Harris completed a residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in 1985. Harris is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Harris completed a National Research Council Fellowship at NASA's Ames Research Center in 1987. While at Ames, he conducted research in musculature physiology and disuse.

He also trained as a flight surgeon at the Aerospace School of Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio in 1988. Dr. Harris received a Master of Science degree in biomedical science from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1996, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston in 1999. Harris is also a licensed private pilot and certified scuba diver.

After completing his fellowship at NASA Ames, he joined NASA's Johnson Space Center as a clinical scientist and flight surgeon, where he conducted clinical investigations of space adaptation and developed countermeasures for extended duration space flight.

He was the first African American man to go in space as one of NASA's research teams and he was involved in the construction of the space rovers.

Harris left NASA in April 1996, but has continued research. He served as Vice President of SPACEHAB, Inc., and innovative space commercialization company, where he directed the company's space science business. He also served as Vice President of Business Development for Space Media, Inc., an Informatics company, establishing an e-commerce initiative that is now part of the United Nations' education program.

In 1998, he founded The Harris Foundation, a Houston, Texas-based non-profit organization, whose stated mission is "to invest in community-based initiatives to support education, health and wealth. THF supports programs that empower individuals, in particular minorities and other economically and/or socially disadvantaged, to recognize their potential and pursue their dreams."

In 2008, he appeared in Microsoft's "I'm a P.C." ad campaign. Harris also gave a keynote speech at the Exxon Mobil Texas State Science and Engineering Fair.

In 2009, he was elected vice president of the American Telemedicine Association. He was elected president of the American Telemedicine Association in 2011, serving for a one-year term that ended in 2012.

In 2010, he was part of the Dream Tour where he travelled to over 30 schools around the country.

Currently, Harris is CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative and president and chief executive officer of Vesalius Ventures, Inc., a venture capital accelerator, that invests in early-stage companies in medical informatics and technology.

As of April 19, 2021, Harris serves on the board of directors for commercial aerospace and weapons manufacturer Raytheon Technologies.

In 1989, Harris married Sandra Fay Lewis. In 1992, the couple had a daughter named Brooke Alexandria Harris. Harris and Lewis divorced in 2008.