0 Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.

Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.

Houghton University President Wayne Lewis sitting at his desk.

Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.

President

Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. has served Houghton University as its 6th president since June 2021. During his tenure, Houghton’s accomplishments have included continued endowment growth, consolidation and refinancing of institutional debt, transition from Houghton College to Houghton University, undergraduate and graduate enrollment growth, expansion of graduate programs, the establishment and growth of Houghton’s Early College, conference championships in tennis and cross country, and the expansion of Highlander athletics.

In addition to his leadership at Houghton, Lewis serves as an ex officio member of the General Board of The Wesleyan Church, a member of the board of trustees for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York (CICU), on the NCAA Division III membership committee, the boards of directors for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) and the National Institute for Execellence in Teaching (NIET), and advisory councils for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) and the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH) at Tulane University.

Prior to his leadership at Houghton, Lewis’ experience included leadership roles in the Christian, non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors. After beginning his career in education as a public-school classroom teacher, he moved into higher education, where he served as a faculty member, program administrator, and college dean. He served the Commonwealth of Kentucky in state government, first as Executive Director of Education Policy & Programs in the Kentucky Education & Workforce Cabinet, and later as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education, where his leadership priorities were college and workforce readiness, teacher licensure, special education, and early learning. As Commissioner, he served on Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), and Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC)

President Lewis and his family love supporting and spending time with Houghton students and their families, and they treasure the opportunity to serve them. They worship and serve at Eastern Hill Church in Williamsville, New York.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis with a Minor in Public Administration | North Carolina State Universityโ€™s College of Education
  • Post-Baccalaureate Studies in Special Education-Mild/Moderate Disabilities | The University of New Orleans
  • Master’s in Urban Studies with a Minor in Public Administration | The University of Akronโ€™sย Buchtelย College of Arts & Sciences
  • Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice | Loyola University

Honors and Awards

  • Harry M. Sparks Distinguished Lecturer, Murray State University College of Education, 2019
  • Appreciation for Services Award, Delta Sigma Theta, Louisville Alumnae Chapter, 2019
  • Louisville Business First, People to Know, 2019
  • Leadership Award, State Interagency Council (SIAC), Kentucky, 2018
  • Teachers Who Make A Difference Award, University of Kentucky, 2013
  • Rick Hess Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings, #154 (tie), 2013
  • Men Making A Difference Award, African and Africana Studies Program (UKY), 2011
  • Dissertation of the Year Finalist, Politics of Education Association, 2010
  • Barbara L. Jackson Scholar, University Council for Educational Administration, 2007-2009

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This entry was posted in . Bookmark the permalink.