DR. CASSANDRA C. LEWIS
FIRST LADY
Cassandra C. Lewis, Ph.D. is an educator with over fifteen years of administrative and teaching experience in the field of higher education. Her diverse involvement in many sectors of education reflect her commitment and passion for advancing educational opportunity for all students, with emphasis on promoting excellence, equity and access for underserved student populations. Dr. Lewis is currently the Associate Dean of Academic Programs at the National Defense University’s Information Resources Management College. National Defense University is the premier national security institution focused on joint professional military education, leader development, and scholarship for senior military and federal government civilians. In that capacity, she serves as principle advisor to the Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs, with responsibility for facilitating high quality curricular content, overseeing the Master of Science degree program, and developing strong academic relationships with academic partners, government agencies and stakeholders. Prior to this position, she worked as a researcher at the University of Maryland University College conducting and publishing research on effective online teaching practices and pedagogical approaches to the improvement of student retention and learning. Dr. Lewis has taught graduate and undergraduate students at numerous colleges and universities in the Washington, DC metro area.
First Lady, Cassandra C. Lewis
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Dr. Lewis is the current and founding Chairperson of the Clifton Park Baptist Church Christian Academy (the Academy). Under her leadership, the Academy launched Higher Ground, an academic and leadership enrichment program serving middle and high school students from communities surrounding Clifton Park Baptist Church. Dr. Lewis is a Sunday school teacher for young adults, and is active in the Outreach, Womens, and Missions ministries. She has lead retreat and conference workshops for youth, women and adults. In 2009, she was the lead presenter for a Women’s conference in The Gambia, West Africa. A native of Grenada, West Indies, Dr. Lewis is committed to international issues and development. She is an active volunteer with the Washington, DC chapter of the Children’s International Summer Villages Inc. (CISV) and has served on the Washington, DC advisory committee for Beyond Borders, a non-profit organization working to end child slavery and prevent violence against women and girls in Haiti.
Dr. Lewis holds a BA in the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences/International Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo; MA in Higher Education from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is married to Pastor Essentino A. Lewis, Jr.; and together they are raising three children: Sidney, Simone and Essentino.