Perspective

Distinguished Teacher: Tim Lewis

At ease today in bare feet, faded jeans, a taupe T-shirt and Boundary Waters-inscribed ball cap, Lewis quickly reveals his insatiable curiosity, love of learning, students-come-first mentality and fervent passion for his field. Together, they fuel his teaching philosophy, and clearly made him this year’s top choice for Wittenberg’s elite faculty prize, the 2006 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Surprised by the award, Lewis says he is grateful to be recognized for doing a job he loves. Where else, he explains, can he engage students in the learning process just as much as he engages himself?

“Learning is an end unto itself,” he says. “We have no idea what will grow, so we have to keep planting seeds just to see.”

A firm believer in the hands-on approach to education, Lewis regularly encourages his students as well as his fellow colleagues to focus on the process of learning and not just overload students with the content.
“We need to understand that many students don’t recall piles of information easily,” he says. “They learn by doing, and it’s our job to expose them to a love of learning.”

Lewis has immersed himself in areas outside his own field for years. His wife, Ruth, biology lab coordinator, often describes him as a “lottery ball.” Just as quickly as each ball changes, Lewis’ own interests change, which makes him all the more proud to be a part of Wittenberg’s vibrant academic community.

“I can ask anyone about anything, and this community supports and encourages such endeavors,” he says. “I can basically eat all the candy I want and not just in my own field.”

Take his recent interest in how the brain works. Although an ecologist by education and training, Lewis decided to dive into human brain development, and the results of his efforts have changed his approach to teaching.

“The brain of an 18-year-old is very different from that of a 22-year-old, so we can’t expect first-year students to process information in the same way or be as motivated to learn as we are. It’s more about what’s fun now to a first-year student,” he explains.

As a result, Lewis tries to focus on getting students’ attention. “I now ask myself ‘how can I make this interesting enough to get a piece of it into their brain.’”

So far, his style and approach appear to be working, judging by the more than 200 student-faculty research projects he has directed since 1990, 50 internships and 120 credit-bearing independent studies he has supervised, and the 40 or so annual advisees who consistently seek out his encouragement, direction and support.

“I can’t believe I get paid to work with the most interesting students in the world,” Lewis says. He especially enjoys teaching first-year students.

“I love to be there during their initial transition, where I have the opportunity to help direct them and encourage them,” he says.

His students, many of whom Lewis calls friends long after graduation, seem to share his passion for life and lifelong learning. They also appreciate his commitment to teaching and to their success as professionals and as human beings.

“Dr. Lewis always took time out of his busy schedule to talk to a student having problems scholastically or personally. College is a difficult growing experience, and Dr. Lewis understood this and went out of his way to make sure that we made it through,” wrote Lynn Evans ’98, Janet Hess ’00, Anne Collaco ’99, Charles Dooley III ’99, Heather Parker ’99 and Sarah Hamman ’99, all former members of Wittenberg’s American Institute of Biological Sciences in their nomination letter.

“His incredible love of and enthusiasm for the subject matter is inspiring,” they added, “and his classes were intellectual challenges and immense learning opportunities. He wants the students he advises to reach their fullest potentials and gain the most from their college experiences.”
“Dr. Lewis dedicates 200 percent of his time and effort to everyone he encounters,” recalls Sarah Harvey ’02. “Every minute of his day – and night – is used to help students.”

Lewis also applies that same effort in his field. Widely published and a regular presenter at numerous national and regional conferences on such topics as turtle habitats, human impact on the environment and forest dynamics, Lewis has served as the principal investigator, co-principal investigator, author or co-author of nearly 100 successfully funded research grants totaling more than $1 million. He also currently serves as a consultant to the U.S. Forest Service and is the university representative for the Ohio Biological Survey, among other ecologically focused organizations.

“I could never understand how people could study anything else but biology,” Lewis says with a smile. “Clearly it is the most interesting field.”

Yet, despite the successful grant proposals, stellar accolades and love of his field, Lewis remains faithful to his roots, often reflecting on his baby picture, which he keeps above his desk along with photos of colleagues, students and their collective adventures.

“I keep that baby picture to remind me of where I came from,” Lewis says. The other photos make him grateful to be at a place where he can just be himself.
“People give of themselves here,” he says.

Lewis is also grateful to those who gave of themselves to help him. His Ph.D. adviser Orrin J. Rongstad, professor emeritus of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-M), is one such person. Rongstad took a chance on Lewis after Lewis persuaded him to let him into the graduate program at UW-M and agreed to serve as his adviser.

His undergraduate mentor Norm Moline, professor of geography at Augustana College, also serves as an ever-present role model, demanding the best of his students and giving them life-changing opportunities such as arranging Lewis’ first job as a regional planner.

In addition, Lewis credits George Schaller, one of the world’s leading field biologists. At a young age, Lewis read Schaller’s Stones of Silence, which ignited his interest in pursuing wildlife research. However, ecologist, environmentalist and author Aldo Leopold holds the top spot on Lewis’ list of professional inspirations.They even share the same birthday.

Add to these individuals the opportunity to conduct radio telemetry research on white-tailed deer in Clam Lake, Wisc., during the winters while earning his doctorate – a time Lewis refers to as “the time of his life” – and it is easy to understand why he wants to provide his time and numerous resources to ensure that Wittenberg students succeed.

“I’m surrounded by gifted teachers,” Lewis says, “and I firmly believe that we are obligated to help in any way we can as a way of paying back those who paved the way for us.”

Perhaps that is why Lewis encourages students to tackle challenges and to be curious at every turn.