Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., is director of the Student Success Program and Associate Professor of Education at Spelman College. Her previous professional experiences include P-12 teacher and administrator and chair of the Spelman College Education Department.
In addition to providing oversight of academic support services at Spelman College, 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 and retention, academic achievement, assessment, and teacher education accreditation. She also serves as a chair and site reviewer for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
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 spaces.
Dr. Lewis has received awards of distinction for exemplary community service and excellence in education from organizations including: Atlanta Public Schools; National Alumnae Association of Spelman College (national organization and Atlanta Chapter); 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.