Tim Lewis

Dr. Tim Lewis is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Special Education at the University of Missouri, where he has made significant contributions to the field of behavioral and emotional support in educational settings. He has over 34 years of experience in higher education and 40 years in special education, with leadership roles including department chair and associate dean for research.

His research focuses on developing and implementing school-wide systems of positive behavior support. Key areas of expertise include:

• Positive Behavior Supports
• Behavior Disorders
• Developmental Disabilities
• Functional Assessment
• Proactive School-wide Discipline Systems
• Social Skill Instruction

Dr. Lewis has secured over $118 million in research grants and has worked with school teams globally to implement evidence-based behavioral interventions. He directs the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Support and previously co-directed national centers, including the OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools.

He has served as Co-Editor of the journal Behavioral Disorders, Associate Editor of the Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, and is a member of 13 editorial boards, demonstrating his leadership in the scholarly community.

Dr. Lewis has contributed extensively to the professional literature on Positive Behavior Support, though specific publications are not listed. His work continues to influence policy and practice in special education and behavioral intervention across the United States and internationally.

He advises graduate students and leads major research initiatives, supported by substantial external funding. His work emphasizes sustainable, system-level change in schools to support student behavior and learning.

Dr. Lewis is affiliated with the Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support network and continues to be a leading figure in advancing behavioral interventions in educational contexts.