BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Dr. James (Jim) Harriss has been named the new Robert P. Holding, Sr. Chair of Business and Finance. Dr. Harriss recently won the 2015 Campbell Business Dean’s Excellence in Research Award.
“I am very proud and feel privileged to have been considered for this Chair,” said Dr. Harriss. “I wish to thank the Holding Family and First Citizens Bank as well as Dean Faulkner, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Hammond and Campbell President Dr. Jerry Wallace for this opportunity.”
As the new Holding Chair, Dr. Harriss will aim to create a banking concentration within the finance major and to further develop and implement relationships with commercial banks for Campbell Business students and graduates. He will also continue his research interests in various banking topics while networking alongside banking practitioners.
At Campbell Business, Dr. Harriss was instrumental in developing seven new courses to support the launch of a new major and minor in finance in August 2015. He has also recently integrated new banking software from the American Bankers Association into his finance courses to expose his students to a laboratory setting and situations similar to what they will see as they enter the financial services industry.
Throughout his career, Dr. Harriss has been a productive scholar and presenter of practical scholarship. During the 2014-15 academic year alone he presented research at three conferences including the Southwestern Society of Economists Conference in Dallas Texas, the Academy of Business Research Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and the Academy of Business Research Conference in New Orleans, La. He was honored with the Outstanding Paper Award for his presentation, “Getting the Gift Tax Out of the Death Tax – or No Section 2035(b) Inclusion,” in San Antonio. In July he will serve as the keynote speaker at a business forum addressing numerous CEOs and CFOs of Fortune 500 companies in Riviera Maya, Cancun, Mexico.
Dr. Harriss’ scholarship allows him to remain active in the banking and finance industries. He routinely presents to bank boards of directors, has served on many such boards, and presents to chief financial officers around the state, region, and country. He is also frequently sought out to consult as an expert witness in litigation.
Dr. Harriss joined the Campbell Business faculty in 1989 as an adjunct faculty member. He was hired as an assistant professor in 2000. He has taught a broad range of undergraduate and graduate course at the university in the fields of business administration, economics, finance, and management. Prior to that he held a banking chair for four years while serving as an assistant professor of finance at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. Dr. Harriss has also served seven years on a bank board and previously practiced commercial lending in Texas.
Dr. Harriss holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and a Master of Business Administration concentrating in finance with an economics minor from Sam Houston State University. He earned a Doctor of Business Administration in finance with minors in management and economics from Mississippi State University, where he received the Outstanding Dissertation Award.
“All of Campbell Business is excited for Dr. Harriss to transition into this new role,” said Campbell Business Dean Keith Faulkner. “He has been an asset to our university from day one, serving as an excellent teacher and scholar to our students. His talents have made a substantial impact on many students, and we know that will only continue in his responsibilities as our new Holding Chair.”
The Robert P. Holding, Sr. Chair of Business & Finance was established in 2002 by the Robert P. Holding Foundation. Retired Campbell Business Dean Dr. Benjamin M. Hawkins previously served as a Holding Chair.
Born in Wake Forest, North Carolina in 1896, Robert Powell Holding became one of the state’s most dynamic and influential banking pioneers. He was elected president of the institution in 1926. Under his leadership, the bank, renamed First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, prospered during the difficult depression era, opening 15 banks in eastern North Carolina from 1929-34. During the depression, Holding served as a financial advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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