Dr. Harris Travis enjoyed a distinguished career in
engineering, education, and ministry. His engineering career begin in 1960 to
1972, he worked at Naval Avionics Facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, in several
engineering capacities. While at Naval
Avionic, he received the Superior Accomplishment Award, Outstanding Employee
Award and Pride Award. In 1972 he began to pursuit a career in education at
Purdue University, where he rose from the rank of assistant professor to full
professor and department chairperson. While at Purdue University's he received
the "Outstanding Professor Award" and had a sabbatical and taught at
Northeastern London Polytechnic, London, England. In 1980, Indiana Christian University
conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Theology.
From 1982 to 1998 he served as Vice President of Academic
Affairs at Southern Polytechnic University (now Kennesaw State
University). During this period he was
very active nationally and internationally presenting papers in nine different
foreign countries. He received four
national awards from the American Society of Engineering Education; and was
made a fellow in the Society in 1993. He was among a select few individuals
awarded one of the Society's Centennial Medallions during its centennial
celebration. In addition, he received the Society's James H. McGraw Award as an
Outstanding Engineering Technology Educator and the Chester F. Carlson Award
for innovation in engineering education.
Dr. Travis has received numerous other national and local awards, and
in 1991 Purdue University conferred upon
him an Honorary Doctorate of Technology.
Dr. Travis became the
Senior Pastor of Zion Baptist in 1992.
He worked bi-vocational as Vice President and Pastor from 1992 to 1998, when he retired from the
University and became the full time Senior Pastor of Zion Baptist Church.
He received while Pastor of Zion
the "President's Award" from the Cobb County NAACP and the Martin
Luther King "Freedom Award," given by Zion Baptist Church and the
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He has been a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
since 1958 and is one of the founders of Omicron Mu Lambda Chapter in Cobb
County, Marietta, Georgia.