Robert Curtis Harriss

Robert Curtis Harriss, environmental scientist and educator, whose research and teaching took him all over the world - from the South Pacific to the Amazon basin to the Arctic tundra and many destinations in between - died at his home in Boulder, Colorado on December 24, 2021 after a long illness. He was 80 years old.

Robert was born on January 5, 1941 in Brownsville, Texas to Robert Leslie Harriss, a rancher, and Virginia “Jinx” Turner Harriss, a homemaker and former beauty queen. He grew up as a child of the border, on the banks of the Rio Grande. His early experiences of the rural countryside and of the open border culture along that great river would form an integral part of his personal identity.

He loved the outdoors and the ranch animals, and he spent his boyhood years roping and riding, but ranching was not in his future. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and Florida State University as an undergraduate, and once he took his first introductory Geology course, he was smitten with science. He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology in 1962. He earned his PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Rice University in 1965.

Scientific inquiry was his passion, and his was a curious and creative mind. His research interests were continually evolving. His initial focus on geology expanded into a lifetime’s study of the Earth and its components as a dynamic system, a transdisciplinary approach that suited him perfectly. His professional activities spanned five decades. Throughout his career, he held appointments as professor and Fellow at several universities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. He was director of Florida State University’s Marine Laboratory for three years, and he spent ten years at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he was mission scientist for NASA’s GTE/ABLE expeditions - a series of aircraft-based field campaigns designed to measure air chemistry across major global ecosystems. He was director of NASA’s Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for three years. He always was ready to explore an interesting opportunity. Wherever these explorations led him, he thrived on discovering new collaborations and new learning experiences.

Robert was the recipient of several awards and fellowships including NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal and NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. He was an Elected Fellow of AAAS. He was an ISI Highly Cited Researcher and author on over 200 journal articles and book chapters. He believed in service to his profession, and he was a member of numerous editorial boards, review boards, scientific committees and advisory boards.

He considered himself fortunate that, early in his career, wonderful mentors supported and encouraged him. Accordingly, he strove to be a good mentor in his own right. His greatest joy came not from his own achievements, but in knowing that he had contributed to the achievements and successes of his students and his colleagues. His optimistic nature, generosity of spirit and fundamental goodness resulted in many deep and lasting personal and professional friendships.

Robert loved spending time with his family and friends, and he was even happier when those activities included dogs. He visited art museums and galleries at every opportunity. He could spend hours browsing in a library. Classical was his music of choice, but Texas country and Tejano were close seconds. He enjoyed being outside and observing nature wherever he happened to find himself. Birds were of especial interest to him. He was an avid scuba diver when he resided near the ocean. In Colorado, he often could be found hiking along trails in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, ever on the lookout for interesting fossils and rock formations.

Robert leaves a life lived to its fullest. He is survived by his wife, Sandra, of Boulder, Colorado; his daughter, Suzanne Gilbert (John) of Accomac, Virginia; his son, Brian Harriss of Lanexa, Virginia; his stepson, Kelly Donovan (Kristy) of Fayette, Iowa and five grandchildren: Alison Gilbert, James Gilbert, Dillon Harriss, Riley Harriss and Ava Harriss. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Valerie Harriss, of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cristmortuary.com for the Harriss family.