Faculty Profile: Dr. Travis Lewis

As a native of Eastern North Carolina, I have seen firsthand the tremendous impact ECU has on the lives of the wonderful people of this region. The university’s faculty and staff are earnest in their dedication to our Servire motto and to making Eastern North Carolina and the entire state a better place to live for all of its residents.

My research interests include improving school leadership to support teacher retention, applying social & emotional learning strategies and techniques in K-12 and higher education, mitigating the effects of trauma on school-aged children, implementing behavioral threat management and assessment processes to support student safety in K-12 and higher education, and effective utilization of student services in K-12 school.

While I sincerely enjoy all of the courses I teach, I would have to say that our introductory Methods of Inquiry course, LEED 8410, within our EdD program is my favorite. This is one of the first courses our newly admitted doctoral students take within our program, providing me with an opportunity to get to know them and guide them as they ideate potential dissertation topics, while also helping them address any early feelings of imposter syndrome that may hinder their progress towards their dream of achieving their terminal degree.

The faculty within the LEED department are innovative, student-centered educators who live by the Servire motto each and every day. Their positive influence on the quality of the leadership guiding North Carolina’s K-12 schools, colleges, and universities through their instruction and research is something that I am immensely honored to be a part of and to contribute to. Additionally, the LEED department consistently admits within our MSA, DLI, EdS, and EdD some of the most dedicated and inspiring current and future education leaders whose energy and ideas reinvigorate me daily and from whom I learn so much.