Henderson Lewis Jr., PhD, Honored by University of New Orleans and InspireNOLA Charter Schools
April 24, 2025
BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana State University and the College of Human Sciences & Education celebrate Henderson Lewis Jr., PhD, assistant professor in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, for receiving honors from both the University of New Orleans (UNO) and InspireNOLA Charter Schools. 
Lewis was named to the inaugural class of Distinguished Alumni at UNO’s Outstanding Alumni Reception on Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Homer Hitt Alumni Center, which honored alumni who have made significant and lasting contributions to education. A 1999 graduate of UNO’s Educational Administration program, he was one of 18 trailblazing leaders recognized for excellence in leadership, innovation, and public service.
InspireNOLA also honored Lewis during its Inspire Higher Gala on April 5, 2025, at Generations Hall, recognizing his historic leadership and unwavering commitment to students, families, and educators in New Orleans during his seven-year tenure as superintendent of NOLA Public Schools.
“We are honored to have Lewis on our faculty here at LSU,” Eugene Kennedy, PhD, interim director of the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, said. “His recognition by UNO and InspireNOLA Charter Schools speaks volumes about his legacy and the integrity with which he leads. He is an invaluable asset to our students and the broader education community.”
With a career spanning nearly 30 years in K–12 education, Lewis has led transformational change in urban education and community engagement. Now, as an educator and mentor at LSU, he continues to shape the next generation of educational leaders.
About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education
A school of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne
School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue
a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification
in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE
offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate
programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing
highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies
scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals,
school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly
expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.
Visit the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education.
About the College of Human Sciences & Education
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division
of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education,
the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership
& Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration
schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age
four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12.
The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute,
the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social
Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards
in teaching, research, and service and aims to improve quality of life across the
lifespan.