Natasha Harris

Academic Interests

Statistics & Data Science

Fun Fact

During the summer after my gap year/before attending Duke, I was called for jury service in my county. I ended up being selected as a juror (on a murder case!) and, despite being the youngest juror, was also selected as the foreperson (the person who hands the jury's decision to the judge to be read aloud to the court). As a note, the events leading up to the murder were on video. We had to review that footage several times. It took us 6 hours of deliberation before making a verdict... It was an eye-opening experience, if not mildly traumatic.

Hi! My name is Natasha Harris, and I am a first-year student from Miami, Florida. I am passionate about statistical science, research, social sciences, language, and all things data! I am fascinated by how statistical analysis can be used to develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues. I have experience in qualitative psychology research, web design, and am learning some useful programming languages like R.

A defining experience that has shaped who I am was participating in the NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth) Academic Year Program in Kaohsiung, Taiwan as a gap year before attending Duke, which allowed me to discover the irremovable importance of language learning and cultural exchange in my life. As I continue to explore my interests and narrow down my areas of focus, I hope to learn more about how the work I do now and in the future can positively impact my community, both locally and globally, in non-profit, government, or private sectors. In my spare time, I am involved in Duke Chorale and the a cappella group Rhythm & Blue, and I have been assisting a senior with their research thesis as a research assistant.

What do you like about being a SPIRE Fellow?

Of the many things that make SPIRE so amazing, two come immediately to mind:

Community! SPIRE is a community of so many cool, amazing people, and I love being part of a community that is passionate about STEM and works to help empower each other on our STEM journeys here at Duke. 

Support! From what little I've experienced in the maybe one week of learning that I'm a SPIRE Fellow, I already feel so well supported and feel like I have so many people I can reach out to when I'm struggling. Other than funding/tutoring/fiscal support, I already appreciate Dr. Soydan so much and am so grateful that I will have access to the support I need to succeed academically, personally, and professionally! I also like that through SPIRE I will be able to meet upperclassmen with similar academic and professional interests that I will be able to look up to and seek advice from.