Recently acknowledged by Forbes Magazine amongst the world’s youngest and most impactful individuals in the field of science, Kenneth F. Harris II is known for delivering thoughtful and dynamic leadership on programs of critical national and international importance.

Mr. Harris is the Database Lead Engineer for the NASA J2 Joint Polar Satellite System. In this role, Mr. Harris is responsible for developing procedures and implementing processes between the Flight Team, Instrument Vendors and Spacecraft Vendors. The attainment of which leads to the successful flight and data collection of the J2 Satellite Mission. The database utilized by both the ground system and flight team will allow the satellite to be monitored and controlled from the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC).

Prior to this role, Mr. Harris served as the Deputy Lead Integration Engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope’s Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). Mr. Harris led a team of 10 engineers to successfully integrate ISIM, the main payload of JWST, to the Backplane of the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) Primary Mirror. This was performed in North Americas largest cleanroom, the Space Systems Development And Integration Facility (SSDIF). Mr. Harris’ leadership on the JWST program ranks him as one of the youngest African Americans in NASA’s history to lead an integration effort on a multi-billion dollar satellite mission. Since joining NASA in 2008 as an intern, Mr. Harris held positions of increasing responsibility including; Mechanical Engineer, Integration & Testing Lab Manager, Deputy Lead Integration Engineer, Senior Systems Engineer, and Database Lead Engineer.

Mr. Harris’ honors and awards extend beyond his professional service to recognition of his tremendous leadership in the STEM field and international community. A proud son of an Engineer Mr. Harris champions the importance of early STEM exposure and engagement. In 2018 Mr. Harris delivered a TEDx Talk to over 500+ students concerning the power of mentorship and guidance. He was recognized as the Next Gen for Industry in 2019. Mr. Harris has appeared as a featured keynote speaker at a number of professional events, conferences, & symposia. Mr. Harris graduated with honors from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering; he then completed a Masters of Science from Johns Hopkins University in Engineering Management.

lifelong Maryland resident Mr. Harris, his wife & their two dogs reside in Prince George’s County Maryland. When not leading space programs or inspiring students to realize their full potential, Mr. Harris enjoys fine cuisine, traveling internationally, and owns and operates a wedding photography company.​

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