Mary Styles Harris facts for kids

Mary Styles Harris (born June 26, 1949) is an American scientist who studies biology and genetics. She leads a company called Harris & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. She also owns BioTechnical Communications, a company that creates educational materials. This company produced a TV show called "To My Sister...A Gift for Life."

Mary Styles Harris uses her media projects to shine a light on health problems that affect African Americans. She has worked to show why it's important to find breast cancer early. She also teaches about the genetics of sickle-cell anemia and helps people understand diabetes. Other health topics she has explored include AIDS, cervical cancer, colon cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure), and prostate cancer.

Harris has always worked to make sure health information is clear and available to everyone. She believes that government officials and scientists should share important health facts with the public.

Early Life and Family

Mary Styles Harris was born on June 26, 1949, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father, George Styles, was studying to become a doctor at Meharry Medical College in the city. Her mother, Margaret, earned a degree in business administration from Tennessee State University.

Soon after Mary was born, her family moved to Miami, Florida. This was her father's hometown. Her parents worked hard to build up her father's medical office there. Sadly, Mary's father passed away in 1958 when she was only nine years old.

Education and Learning

Mary Styles Harris was one of the first African American students to attend Miami Jackson High School. She graduated in 1967, ranking twelfth out of 350 students in her class.

She then became one of the first women to enroll at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She spent most of her time studying with students who planned to go to medical school. However, she decided not to go to the University of Miami Medical School. Instead, she chose to focus on a career in scientific research.

After finishing her studies at Lincoln University in 1971, Harris went to Cornell University. There, she studied molecular genetics, which is about how genes work at a tiny level. She received a special scholarship called a Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship to help with her studies. Harris earned her doctorate degree in 1975. From 1975 to 1977, she worked as a research associate at Rutgers University. She studied the viruses that can cause tumors.

Career and Achievements

After graduating from Cornell, Mary Styles Harris received a special research award from the National Cancer Institute. She then went to the New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry. There, she researched the genetic makeup of viruses.

In 1977, Harris became the executive director of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia. In this important job, she worked to raise money for sickle cell research. Sickle cell is a blood condition that mostly affects people of African descent. She also taught the public about the disease. For her efforts, she received a National Science Foundation Science Residency Award in 1979.

This award led to her creating a series of documentaries about science and medicine. In 1980, Harris won the Glamour Magazine's Outstanding Working Woman Award. This special ceremony was hosted by President Jimmy Carter at the White House.

Later, Harris became the Director of Genetic Services for the Georgia Department of Human Services. Her job was to help shape public health rules in Georgia and across the country. She worked as director for three years. After that, she spent two years as a project coordinator. She helped with genetic screening for newborn babies. She also worked as an assistant professor at Morehouse College in 1978 and Atlanta College from 1980 to 1981.

In 1987, Harris started her own company, BioTechnical Communications. This company makes videos and other educational materials about health topics. Harris has produced TV and radio shows. She also hosts a call-in radio show called Journey To Wellness: African American Health Radio. She developed a documentary called To My Sisters... A Gift For Life, which focuses on breast cancer in African American women.

Personal Life

Mary Styles Harris married Sidney Harris, who also graduated from Morehouse College. They got married soon after she earned her doctorate degree. Both of them were accepted into Cornell University. They moved to Ithaca, New York, where Sidney studied engineering and Mary worked at the university's genetics research center. Mary and Sidney Harris have one daughter.

Awards and Recognition

• 1979-80: Women's Forum of Georgia
• 1979-80: Georgia Human Genetics Task Force
• 1979-80: Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust; Georgia Board of Regents, University of Georgia
• 1979-80: Board member, CDC Foundation
• 1979-80: Scientist in Residence for WGTV Channel 8
• 1980: Glamour Magazine's Outstanding Working Woman Award
• 1979: National Science Foundation Science Residency Award
• 1977: Public Health Association, American Society for Human Genetics
• 1971: Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship

See also

In Spanish: Mary Styles Harris para niños