Coretta Harris ’83 served on several EAA board committees and was elected its first female president in 2008, serving an initial three-year term. In 2017, she began her second term on the EAA Board. She also contributes to UCLA Samueli on initiatives to grow and foster student diversity, equity and inclusion. She serves on the UCLA Samueli Diversity Council as its alumni representative and is actively involved in NSBE, SWE and WE@UCLA. In 2005, she established the Coretta Harris Scholarship Fund for incoming freshman and transfer students majoring in engineering.

Coretta received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UCLA and is a veteran senior systems engineer and project manager in the aerospace and defense industries. She also serves as a docent at the California Science Center, helping guide visitors at the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit. In 2021, she received the UCLA Samueli Engineering Alumni Association Service Award.