Harris honored for 36 years of mentoring, inspiring students

Republished from The University Record article “A Taubman professor’s final work of art: her students” (April 27, 2026; by Hanna Quinlan)

For 36 years, Melissa Harris has approached teaching the way an architect approaches a design: with intention, curiosity, and a deep belief in what can be built over time. 

Harris, an associate professor of architecture in the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, teaches design and visual thinking. She plans to retire at the end of the academic year. 

Her impact extends well beyond the classroom. Harris was honored as a featured Guest of Honor to speak at Michigan Housing’s recent Honored Instructors event. 

This year, 162 U-M instructors from across 14 schools and colleges were also nominated for their meaningful impact on students living in the residence halls.

Students are given the opportunity to nominate instructors across U-M whose teaching has positively impacted their college experience.  

But the words — and actions — of sophomore Lily Paddock made Harris’ final year of teaching poignantly special.

Paddock nominated Harris for this year’s honor. After learning Harris would retire, she enrolled in every course she could during her first two years in the Taubman undergraduate program — three classes in total. 

Instructors, Harris included, do not know who nominated them until the ceremony, when they are reunited with students in real time and presented with a certificate and copy of the student’s submission. The event celebrates both instructors and students coming together. 

“I am constantly learning new things in her class. She always has stories to tell us that somehow connect back to the things we are drawing,” Paddock wrote in her submission about Harris.

“These stories stick better in my brain than any lecture I have ever listened to. She is always excited to teach her students and always willing to help extra when students need it.”

In support of U-M’s academic mission, Michigan Housing has hosted the annual event since 2018. As of 2026, nearly 900 instructors have been honored by over 1,000 students, the majority of whom are first-year students and all living on campus. 

Since 2018, Harris’s name has surfaced again and again — nominated in seven different years, sometimes by more than one student at a time. 

“Every year, we see common themes of passion for the course content, providing additional support well beyond class and office hours, and engaging lessons which deeply inspire students,” said Mary Vincent, assistant director of academic initiative in Michigan Housing and event organizer.

“This is an opportunity for students living in our residential communities to recognize the instructors they learn from who help shape their current experience at U-M and lay the foundation for their growth,” said Jasmine P. Clay, director of residence education in Michigan Housing. 

This year’s Honored Instructors event followed Harris’ retirement celebration hosted by the Taubman College. Her 92-year-old mother traveled to attend both events, seated in the front row alongside Harris’ wife and Paddock.

In the classroom, thousands of students have had a front row seat to Harris’ teachings over the course of her career. Like any great architect, Harris leaves behind more than a finished project, she leaves behind a framework. 

One that continues to shape the landscapes for students — like Lily Paddock — to go on to design, once she steps away.

Main Image: Melissa Harris, left, was nominated to be honored at Michigan Housing’s Honored Instructors event by student Lily Paddock. (Photo by Jasmine P. Clay, Michigan Housing)