Wayne D. Lewis, Jr, PhD is Inaugural Dean and Professor in the School of Education at Belmont University. Dr. Lewis most recently led the Kentucky Department of Education as the state’s chief state school officer from April 2018 until December 2019. His resume includes experience as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, postsecondary faculty member and program administrator at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and as an executive administrator in state government. His published research and writing over the last decade has been in the areas of education policy and politics, school-family-community engagement, and school choice, in American and international contexts.

Dr. Lewis completed undergraduate studies at Loyola University New Orleans. He earned a master's degree in Urban Studies with a concentration in Public Administration at The University of Akron, completed post-baccalaureate teacher preparation program in special education at The University of New Orleans, and earned a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis with a cognate in Public Administration at North Carolina State University. Prior to assuming appointments in state government, he was an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and educational leadership doctoral programs chairperson in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky.