Cearra Harris has over a decade of professional experience creating, securing funding for, and leading community development programs and initiatives. In addition to her applied experience, she is a researcher, educator, and information science practitioner. At Watershed, Cearra is a project lead and consults on the development and evaluation of community education and engagement programs across client projects.

Outside of Watershed, Cearra recently completed her Doctoral Dissertation in the University of South Carolina’s Library and Information Science program, where her research interests include trauma-informed community development, social justice in librarianship, and the information- and resource-seeking behaviors of BIPOC communities. At Carolina, she is a Presidential Fellow, American Library Association Spectrum Doctoral Fellow, and a 2023-24 SEC Emerging Scholar. Before continuing her studies in graduate school, Cearra worked as a librarian, creating programs focused on the needs of underserved communities in the Carolinas.

A native of Columbia, in her spare time Cearra is a social media entrepreneur, producing multimedia collaborations that bring people together through community events, volunteerism, and fundraising.