Born in Selma, Alabama, and educated in Detroit Public Schools,[1] Harris earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan.
[2] Harris furthered her studies in the same subject at Northwestern University, where she completed a master's of science in 1997 and a doctorate in 2001.
[1][3] During her Ph.D., Harris was advised by Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis and Neil Welker.
[1] Upon graduating, Harris worked as a scientist for Schering-Plough, then moved to Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
[2] In 2020, Harris was elected a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering.