The Clinton School Impact Center is proud to announce the addition of Tarryn Harris to its professional staff as a Research Associate.
Harris, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, has served as a graduate assistant with the Impact Center since January 2025 and will now lead several high-priority research initiatives across the state of Arkansas. She will graduate with a Master of Public Service degree in May from the Clinton School of Public Service.
“My research skills have grown tremendously during my time at the Clinton School, and I’ve developed a real passion for qualitative research methods like interviews and focus groups,” Harris said. “Professionally, I feel a much greater sense of confidence in my ability to help our community partners achieve their goals. As someone who is not a native Arkansan, working with so many state organizations has helped me truly get to know the depth of this state and everything it has to offer.”
A Foundation in Global Research
Harris graduated from Butler University with bachelor’s degrees in political science, international studies, and Spanish. Her journey at the Clinton School has been defined by community-focused research.
For her Practicum project, she worked with Little Rock’s Rogue Water Lab to evaluate college students’ understanding of water usage, followed by an International Public Service Project in Peru with the nonprofit Awamaki, where she researched how water scarcity affects weaving communities in the Andes mountains. She is currently completing her Capstone project with Central Arkansas Water, assessing the benefits of water utility regionalization.
“We are so excited to have Tarryn join our growing team of professional staff at the Impact Center,” said Dr. Nichola Driver, Assistant Dean of Impact and Executive Director of the Clinton School Impact Center. “Her background in researching high-impact issues will be invaluable to our work throughout rural Arkansas and beyond. We are lucky to have such a talented pool of graduate students at the Clinton School like Tarryn who are excited to serve our state.”
Providing Data-Based Solutions in Arkansas
The Clinton School Impact Center was established in 2024 to meet a critical need for in-depth, multi-year evaluation and research that often falls outside the timeline of standard student projects. By leveraging the expertise of faculty and professional staff, the Impact Center provides important services, including asset mapping, data collection, and program evaluation, that allow nonprofits, organizations, and government partners to measure their impact and develop programs that better serve their communities.
She is currently leading a wide range of research projects focused on public health prevention and management strategies, workforce development needs assessments, and community-level interventions for families impacted by the opioid crisis.