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 is a Doctoral Candidate 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.