Timothy J. Lewis AB '82 MA '84
Professor of Special Education
Timothy J. Lewis is an expert in equipping educators to focus on the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Lewis taught for four years in the St. Louis area before he embarked on a research career that has revolutionized the way administrators and teachers deploy school-wide systems for positive behavioral support.
During his 21 years on the Mizzou faculty, Lewis has served multiple terms as department chair and associate dean for research. In 1996 he established the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Support, creating a fertile ground for research and service opportunities for his students and continues to serve as its director. He is also co-director of the OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
Lewis is often asked to consult with the U.S. Department of Education and his work has impacted teachers in all 50 states and over 20 foreign countries. He is the author of over 100 publications, including articles in peer-reviewed professional journals, books, monographs, and technical reports. Lewis has led over 1,500 workshops focusing on the improvement of social behavior outcomes among children and adolescents at-risk and those with disabilities. He is an indispensable resource for those who advocate on behalf of this population.
Through excellence in research and through his own experience teaching, Lewis’s work has trained a generation of educators to evaluate and meet the needs of students, preparing them for lives of significance and success.
- Mizzou Alumni Association Faculty-Alumni Award, 2008
- Awarded over $38 million in federal and state funding for research
- Served on 16 journal editorial boards, including as editor of Behavioral Disorders from 2005 to 2011
- Recipient of the College of Education Excellence in Teaching Award, annually from 1997-2007
- Fellow, National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
- MU President’s Leadership Development Program, 2001
- Nominated for the University of Missouri President’s Award for Excellence in Research, 2003, 2006
- Nominated for the Graduate Advisor of the Year, 2005
- Graduate Advisor/Mentor of the Year, College of Education, 2011
- Distinguished Service Award, Missouri Council for Administrators of Special Education, 2015
- Outstanding Leadership Award, Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavioral Disorders, 2016
- Dede Feeman Smith Friend of Gifted Award, Gifted Association of Missouri, 2016
- Harrie M. Selznick Distinguished Service Award, Council of Administrators of Special Education, 2016
- Campus Internal Review Board member, 1997-present
- Official and board member, University of Missouri Track and Field, 2012-present
- University of Missouri Partnership for Educational Renewal Operational Council, 2015-present