As of 2020, Harris is an associate professor at the University of Auckland, specialising in Māori histories of policy and community development.

[1][2] She credits her paternal grandmother, Violet Otene Harris, a Ngāpuhi and Mormon, as having a significant influence on her during childhood.

[5] Harris was a founding member of Te Pouhere Kōrero, the New Zealand national association for Māori historians.

[6][8] In the 2020 New Year Honours, Harris was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Māori and historical research.

[9] A special Outstanding Contribution to Māori History award was given to Harris in 2021 at the New Zealand Historical Association Conference.