Dr. Carol Lewis (Ph.D. ’95, M.A. ’89) will serve as interim associate dean for research at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work beginning Aug. 16, Dean Allan Cole announced.
Lewis brings more than three decades of experience to the role. She joined the School in 1994, completed her Ph.D. in psychology from UT Austin in 1995 and has served as associate or executive director of the Office of the Associate Dean for Research since 1999, guiding faculty through research proposals, contracts and grants.
“Carol has been a quiet force behind some of the most important research work this School has done. She knows this place — its people, its potential — and I can’t think of anyone better suited to lead us through this next chapter.”
Thanks in part to her administrative leadership, UT Social Work now ranks among the top UT Austin colleges and schools in external research funding per capita. That record has roots in work Lewis helped build from early in her tenure — including a five-year National Institute on Drug Abuse research development grant in 2001, a collaborative effort that laid the foundation for the School’s federal grant portfolio.
Lewis was named a Fellow by the Society for Social Work and Research in 2023 and received the Outstanding Research Administrator Award for UT Austin in 2022.
“I’m honored to continue supporting research efforts in the School of Social Work. It is fulfilling to work with such a dedicated group of astute scientists who are improving lives and empowering individuals on a daily basis,” said Lewis.
Lewis follows the leadership of Dr. Esther Calzada, who recently became the chair of psychology at Tulane University. A national search is underway for a permanent associate dean for research.