Faculty Profile: Travis Lewis

Name: Travis Lewis, EdD

Title & department: Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations (ELF)

What does your new role as assistant department chair of ELF involve, and what are you most looking forward to in the position?

My role involves supporting the day-to-day work of the department across several areas, including curriculum and course management, student affairs, faculty support, recruitment, and program operations. What I am most looking forward to is having the opportunity to work more closely with faculty, students, and our department chair to strengthen our programs and help reduce barriers that make people’s work more difficult. I enjoy solving problems and finding practical ways to make systems and processes work better for the people they are intended to serve. 

What are some of your goals for your first year in this role?

One of my primary goals is to learn where I can be most helpful to our students and faculty while bringing greater consistency and efficiency to some of our departmental processes. I also want to support continued program growth, strengthen communication across the department, and make sure students and faculty have the information and resources they need to be successful. Ultimately, I would like to help create an environment where faculty can focus more of their time and energy on teaching, scholarship, service, and supporting students.

What are you hoping to bring to the role based on your experience at ECU?

I have had the opportunity to experience ECU from several different perspectives, including as a graduate student, university administrator, adjunct instructor, faculty member, program director, and now assistant department chair. Before joining the faculty full time, I also worked in both PK-12 education and ECU Student Affairs. Those experiences have taught me the importance of relationships, responsiveness, clear communication, and understanding how decisions affect people at different levels of an organization. I hope to bring that perspective, along with a willingness to listen and work collaboratively, to this role.

What excites you most about the opportunity to serve in this new capacity?

I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the department beyond my own teaching and research responsibilities. ELF prepares leaders who have an impact on schools, districts, universities, and communities across North Carolina and beyond. Supporting the faculty who prepare those leaders and helping strengthen the programs in which they learn is meaningful work to me. I also look forward to continuing to learn from my colleagues and contributing to the department’s future. At the heart of it, whether I am working with our students and graduates, my colleagues, or partners across the college and region, I find fulfillment in serving others. This role gives me another way to do that while contributing to the success of our department and the people we serve.

What’s something fun or unique you’d like people to know about you?

I am a native Eastern North Carolinian who grew up in Pamlico County and was a first-generation college student. I certainly never imagined when I started college that my career would eventually bring me to this point. My connection to ECU has also come full circle in many ways. I came here as a graduate student, later worked in Student Affairs, taught as an adjunct, joined the faculty full time, and now have the opportunity to serve the department in this new role. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Most of my time outside of work is centered around my family. My wife, Jenn, and I have two sons, Gabe and Liam, and I enjoy spending time with them and following what they are doing as they enter new stages of their lives. I also enjoy working on projects around the house and playing with my loyal furry sidekick, Sadie.