Ted Harris

Ted Harris(opens in new window), who graduated with a BA in Economics in 1994, is senior director for risk and identity at Visa(opens in new window) in Foster City, California.  After graduation Ted took a job as a graduate teaching fellow at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.  “I taught independent courses in Intermediate Microeconomics and lead discussion sections in Econometrics, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics,” Ted stated on his LinkedIn page(opens in new window). 

After he received his MS in economics(opens in new window) from the University of Oregon(opens in new window) in 1999, he went to work for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in Oakland, CA, where he developed a model for forecasting prison populations. After a year with the Council he moved on the fashion industry with Byer of California(opens in new window) as senior developer. "My team was charged with creating systems to better automate and simplify all aspects of Byer's operations including shipping, warehouse management," Ted stated in a LinkedIn message. 

After he left Byer Ted spent the next 5 years as manager of research and development for Quality Planning Corporation (QPC)(opens in new window) in Las Vegas. Since leaving QPC in 2008 he has worked for Visa.  Ted filed more than 60 patents and brought to market dozens of new analytical and modeling products, many of which are still in production a decade after release. He invented a modeling language and run-time engine which turns out Visa's core real-time analytical products.

"Studying Economics enabled me to readily adapt the needs of the organizations I join by providing a solid foundation based on math, analytical reasoning and economic common sense. Chico taught me the importance of openness to new ideas and cultures, building long-term friendships and flexibility in how I perceive myself and others," Ted stated in a LinkedIn message.  (Last Updated 6/15/19)