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Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., C'96

Andrea Lewis, Ph.D.
Director of Student Success Program, Associate Professor
Care Team, Education, Faculty, Institutional Effectiveness, Student Success Program

Contact Info
404-270-5981
Miligan Building, 2312

Tag(s): education, faculty

Biography

Faculty Member Since 2009

 Dr. Andrea Lewis' professional journey has spanned various roles, including elementary school teacher, public and private school administrator, and college department chair. Currently, she champions campus initiatives to enhance academic support services and promote student retention and completion efforts as director of the Student Success Program and associate professor of education at Spelman College.

In addition, Dr. Lewis chairs the College Completion Action Team, co-chairs the Campus Assessment Response and Evaluation Team, and co-directs International Prestigious Fellowships. Through these efforts, she has demonstrated success in student advising, retention, assessment, and teacher education accreditation. 
A summa cum laude graduate of Spelman College, Dr. Lewis earned master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Turner Theological Seminary at Interdenominational Theological Center, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Georgia State University. As evidence of Dr. Lewis’ commitment to preparing students with cultural and global competence, she organized Spelman’s first faculty-led trip to Havana, Cuba in December 2015 to examine the intersection of history, economics, and politics on the country’s education system. Subsequent trips were sponsored in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023.
Dr. Lewis has authored four books Preservice Teachers, Social Class, and Race in Urban Schools: Experiences and Strategies for Teacher Preparation; Valerie’s New Friends; Unsung Legacies of Educators and Events in African American History (co-authored); and S.H.E. Who Believed: Redefining Life Through God’s Grace, as well as book chapters and articles in various books and journals centered on teacher education. Her research interests include teacher preparation, urban education, social class in schools, and Black girls who attend elementary school in White communities.
Dr. Lewis has received awards of distinction for exemplary community service and excellence in education from organizations including: Spelman College; National Alumnae Association of Spelman College; Atlanta Public Schools; Southeast Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women; United Negro College Fund; Turner Broadcasting; and Outstanding Atlanta.

Faculty WordPress Site

Education

  • Ph.D., Georgia State University

  • M.Div., Interdenominational Theological Center

  • M.S., University of Pennsylvania

  • B.A., Spelman College

Courses Taught

  • EDU 445 Education of Black Girls

  • EDU 222 Global Education

  • EDU 320 Language Arts and Social Studies Methods

Research Interests

  • Teacher Preparation

  • Urban Education

  • Social Class in Schools

  • Black Girls in White Schools

Select Publications

Lewis, A. (2018). Examining cultural competence through a historical lens. In Cultural Competence of Early Childhood Teachers. London, UK: Taylor, Francis, and Routledge.

Lewis, A. (2017). Black Teachers: 21st Century’s Most Wanted. In Being Black Is Not a Risk Factor: Statistics and Strengths-Based Solutions in the State of Georgia. Washington, DC: National Black Child Development Institute.

Lewis, A. (2017). Valerie's New Friends. Atlanta: Rathsi Publishing.

Lewis, A. (2016). Preservice teachers, social class and race in urban schools: Experiences and strategies for teacher preparation. New York: Palgrave McMillan US.

Lewis, A. (2016). Boundary crossing: Social class and race in the classroom. In Hurst, A. & Nenga, S. (Eds), Bringing class In: Recognizing the power of social class in our academic work. Washington, DC: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Lewis, A. (2016). Are white child development theorists relevant to 21st century black children?, Journal of the Institute for the Study of the African-American Child, 5(1).

Lewis, A. & Taylor, N. (2015). Enacting diversity in a single gender liberal arts HBCU educator preparation program, Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE) Journal,12(1), p35-51.

Lewis, A. (2015) Perseverance: The dream will not be deferred. In M. Zhou (Ed), Supporting multiculturalism and gender diversity in university settings (pages 37-55). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Lewis, A. (2014). A review of through it all: Reflections on my life, my family, and my faith, Multicultural Perspectives, 16(3), 178-179.

 

Lewis, A. (2022). S.H.E. who believed: Redefining life through God’s grace. New York: Vine Publishing.
 
Lewis, A. & Taylor, N. (2019). Unsung legacies of educators and events in African American education. New York: Palgrave McMillan US.
 

News & Notes

EAB Podcast: Episode 211 - How Spelman Helps Students Start and Stay Right

This Life: Spelman betting on more black teachers to make the difference
Atlanta Journal Constitution