SPRINGFIELD, Mo., March 31, 2025 – Dr. William T. Lewis, a renowned national people and culture thought leader, will be the keynote speaker for Drury University’s annual Diversity and Reconciliation Undergraduate Conference, 11 a.m, Friday, April 4 at Stone Chapel.
Lewis, the founder and president of WillHouse Global, will be delivering a lecture entitled “Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones, and Harmful Words: Addressing Incivility with C.A.R.E. (Courage, Awareness, Respect, and Empathy).
“We’re delighted to have such an experienced educator help us understand how to nurture a campus community which embodies the ‘C.A.R.E.’ which he recommends,” Drury chaplain Dr. Peter Browning said. “On a day when we think of our diverse identities and the values of reconciliation and mutual understanding, we are blessed to have him sharing his insights.”
WillHouse Global was recognized as a Top Diversity and Inclusion Company for 2022 by Manage HR. Lewis is co-author of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) Standards of Professional Practice (2014). He is an award-winning author of Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race (SPARK Publications 2022).
Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race, is a gold award recipient in the 2022 Hermes Creative Awards competition and has won a Gold Award of Excellence in the Collateral-Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category in the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) 2022 Communicator Awards.
Dr. Lewis earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University. He also holds a Master’s degree in social work.
The conference will also feature 26 student presentations, which will take place throughout the day, in Olin Library. At 3 p.m., Dr. Lewis will hold a dialogue with conference participants in the Lyceum on the library’s second floor. The day has been made possible by the Drury School of Religion, the Meador Center, contributors to the Religious Activities Fund, and the Office of Student Support Services.
###
Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu