Harrington named vice chancellor for academic affairs

James W. Harrington, Jr., a geography professor at the University of Washington Seattle and the immediate past chairman of the UW Faculty Senate, will become UW Tacoma's vice chancellor for academic affairs. 

Harrington will start his new job on September 1, UW Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman announced today.

As vice chancellor, Harrington will provide support for the academic dean and directors, and ensure integrity of the promotion and tenure processes, Friedman wrote in an announcement to the campus. Harrington also will join the faculties of both Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and of Urban Studies at UW Tacoma. 

Harrington has been a professor of geography at UW since 1997, and served as department chairman from 2000 to 2005.

He’s also been active in the UW Faculty Senate, which plays a key advisory role on curriculum, degree requirements, faculty affairs and review, and budget planning. At the end of July, he completed a year-long term as chairman of the senate. Among his duties was serving as an ex officio member of the Board of Regents and a member of the Advisory Search Committee for the university’s president.

“He has unusually broad knowledge of the UW as a result of his faculty senate leadership activities and through his service on the UW presidential search committee,” Friedman wrote. “He has demonstrated abiding interest in the three campuses of the UW.” 

Earlier, he served as director of the National Science Foundation’s Geography and Regional Science Program (1994-97); Associate Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University (1991-97); and Assistant and Associate Professor of Geography at SUNY-Buffalo (1983-91).

He holds doctoral and master’s degrees in geography from the University of Washington, and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree, cum laude in general studies, from Harvard University.

Harrington's research and teaching interests include economic geography, specifically subnational, regional economic development, occupational attainment, international trade. His work focuses on the U.S., Canada and China.

Harrington will replace Beth Rushing, who is now vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

You can learn more about Harrington on his faculty website.