Tim Lewis

  • Curators' Distinguished Professor

Dr. Tim Lewis has been involved in special education for 35 years.  Dr. Lewis has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders in high school, elementary, and self-contained psychiatric settings.  At present, Dr. Lewis is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Special Education at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis is past Co-Editor of the journal Behavioral Disorders, Associate Editor of the Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, and a member of 13 editorial boards. During his 30-year career in higher education Dr. Lewis has served multiple terms as department chair and associate dean for research.

Dr. Lewis has been involved with developing school-wide systems of behavioral support for over 25 years.  He has worked directly with school teams around the world, secured over $118 million in grants to support his research and demonstration efforts, and is a frequent contributor to the professional literature examining various aspects of Positive Behavior Support. Dr. Lewis directs the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Support, is past Co-Director of the national OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and former Co-Director of the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools. His specialty areas include social skill instruction, functional assessment, and proactive school-wide discipline systems.

Areas of Expertise

  • Behavior Disorders
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Positive Behavior Supports