The Industry Guy

Photo by John Dudley

Outgoing GEAB chair David Lewis and his successor, Carol B. Smithwick, share a vision for improving Carolina's graduate education.

When Dr. David L. Lewis first took over as chair of the Graduate Education Advancement Board (GEAB), many forward-looking and worthwhile ideas for improving graduate education at Carolina were on the table. The Graduate Student Center. The Impact Awards. Mentoring initiatives.

Fortunately for the University’s graduate students, Lewis was exactly the strong and dedicated leader it often takes to see good ideas to completion.

An upstate-New York native who first came to Carolina for graduate school, Lewis earned his Ph.D. from the University in chemistry in 1973. After spending one year as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Columbia University, he eventually found his way into the private sector, where he has worked for the past 33 years. It’s in that world, navigating a profession that shuttled him between chemical production companies in Cleveland and New Jersey before bringing him back to the Triangle, that Lewis made the change from a chemist to more of what he calls “an industry guy.”

Now, as his three-year term as GEAB chair nears its end, the Senior Vice President of Global Business
Management at the Lord Corporation says serving Carolina’s graduate students was just one of the ways he has tried to repay the University for helping lead him down a path to success.

“I had so many wonderful experiences in my time at Carolina that I knew I wanted to give something back to the people who made it possible,” he says. “But it is also somewhat of a selfish endeavor, considering I am a business professional always in search of top talent,” he adds, only half joking.

It is that business-minded approach that many of Lewis’ colleagues say has been his greatest contribution to GEAB.

“David has brought a strong sense of leadership to the GEAB,” says Carol B. Smithwick, the current GEAB vice chair and successor to Lewis. “His organization skills, honed from extensive experience with leadership within the business environment, furthered the GEAB’s reach into the business world and allowed us to expand our message to the public as well as the legislature.”

But even with his strong industry ties, Lewis hasn’t treated his time advocating on behalf of the Graduate School as just business as usual. Over the years he often attended meetings or receptions where Royster Fellows would present research or provide interdisciplinary collaboration — experiences that only reinforced his understanding of how graduate education can have an impact on North Carolinians.

“One of the reasons I will continue to be involved with GEAB after stepping down as chair is the interdisciplinary interaction found in Carolina’s graduate programs,” Lewis says. “Interdisciplinary learning is critical for success in the non-academic world, whether that’s the public or private sector, and that is a key reason that the Graduate School is so important to the University’s success.”

During his three years as chair, Lewis instituted quarterly meetings of the GEAB Executive Committee and oversaw the inaugural year of Impact Award winners and the opening of the Graduate Student enter — all efforts he says were aimed at strengthening graduate education at Carolina.

“I’ve lived in North Carolina now for almost 20 years, and I think one of the reasons my company is here and one of the reasons the Triangle has grown as it has is the presence of strong graduate and professional programs at universities like UNC,” he says. “From the perspective of a North Carolinian and the perspective of a businessman, I think that it is not only important that students have access to the wonderful education Carolina provides, it is equally important for the state and its companies and residents to have access to the best-educated and most well-rounded individuals available.”

Photo by Will Owens

Under Lewis' guidance, the GEAB "has become an integral advocate for the Graduate School."

Smithwick, meanwhile, says Lewis’ contributions will continue to pay dividends for the GEAB and the Graduate School for many years to come.

“The GEAB is definitely in better standing because of David’s service,” she says. “He has worked very hard to amend the constitution and bylaws of the GEAB as well as identifying the responsibilities of the Board. Under his guidance the GEAB has become an integral advocate for the Graduate School.”

Like Lewis, Smithwick originally came to Carolina in search of a graduate degree in chemistry and eventually was drawn back to the Triangle after many decades away. Now the alumna, who established the Carol and Edward Smithwick Fellowship with her husband, wants to continue building on the excellence she came to know more than 30 years ago.

“I have nothing but love for Carolina,” she says. “I received a great deal from the University, and I’d like to give back in any way I can. It was very important in my life, and I’ve got the time to do it.”

And, when Smithwick assumes the role as GEAB chair in July, she will bring more than her willingness to volunteer her time to the job. With more than three decades of volunteer experience in Indianapolis’ arts communities and juvenile justice system under her belt, she is bringing a wealth of service know-how that she hopes will complement the work Lewis has accomplished for the Graduate School.

Working with more than 30 other GEAB members, she says the focus of the board will continue to be to work on behalf of the Graduate School and the programs it funds.

“We are an arm of the Graduate School staff, and our purpose is to do whatever we can to support them and enhance graduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill,” she says. “I’m looking forward to advocating on behalf of the Graduate School and identifying areas for more financial support for graduate studies.”

With a combination of strong leaders and the continued collaboration of alumni and friends of the University like Smithwick and Lewis, the GEAB appears to be in good hands for many years to come. And that’s good news for the Graduate School and the tens of thousands of students it serves every year.”

- Daniel T. Johnson

© 2007, The Graduate School, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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