Jack Harris studies men and masculinity in Vietnam. He has expanded into looking at the experience of Vietnamese as they go through massive economic and social change. He is an applied sociologist and consults with local governments across the United States on business process reengineering, change management, and municipal information technology.

Among his many academic experiences abroad, Harris has served as the core director of World Regional Geography for the Semester at Sea Program, director of the Vietnam Term Abroad Program and as presenter and respondent at the International Conference on Vietnamese Studies in Hanoi, Vietnam.