Published May 19, 2015
Andre Lewis—a student in the online creative systemic studies Ph.D. program at the
University of Louisiana at Monroe—has added to his academic portfolio with recent
publications, and a presentation in Arkansas.
Lewis, an assistant professor and current director of social work at the University
of Arkansas at Monticello, presented at the 36th Annual Meeting and Conference of
the National Association of Social Workers Arkansas Chapter. The conference theme
was “Inspire, Innovate and Integrate,” which celebrated the vital role of social workers
as leaders of change.
“Social workers innovate and integrate knowledge, skills, and common values to inspire
others to identify strengths, overcome adversity, and fulfill potential,” said Lewis.
Lewis’s presentation, titled “Challenging Outdated Paradigms about African American
Fathers,” was created by using research from his ULM dissertation to explain the need
for practitioners, scholars, and policy makers to abandon outdated paradigms about
fathering, and to consider applying a systemic approach to understanding and working
with African American fathers.
This presentation was a compliment to a recent book chapter written by Lewis, titled
“Defining African American Fatherhood,” which was featured in “The African American
Father.”
Lewis said his research topic allowed him to share knowledge that will help change
the way African American fathers are viewed.
Lewis contends that the training he received in ULM’s online program has helped him
apply systemic concepts and principles to his research on fatherhood, and he hopes
this conceptual application will lead to research that is framed in a more dynamic
manner.
Lewis also wrote two book reviews, including a review on “Lighter as We Go: Virtues,
Character, Strengths, and Aging,” by Mindy Greenstein; and a review on “Baby Boomers
of Color: Implications for Social Work Policy and Practice,” by Melvin Delgado.
Lewis continued his research with a co-authored article, titled “Reflections at a
Rural University: Increasing Critical Thinking Skills through Cross-Disciplinary Access
for Education, Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Social Work,” which was published in
the peer reviewed National Teacher Education Journal.
In “Reflections,” Lewis and his co-authors Marie Jenkins and Adam McKee consider the
effectiveness “of a multidisciplinary approach to teaching critical thinking skills
in education, social work, criminal justice, and nursing.”
The authors conclude that cross-disciplinary learning—which involves teaching varied
academic sections to enhance a student’s range of knowledge—helps improve and increase
critical thinking skills.
Throughout the piece, the authors describe their successes with applying their research
within their classrooms at the University of Arkansas, Monticello.
Lewis holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mississippi
and the University of Southern Mississippi. He plans to finish his research this summer,
and graduate during ULM’s fall Commencement ceremony in December.
