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Houghton College names new president

Wayne D. Lewis Jr., named 6th president of Houghton College.
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Wayne D. Lewis Jr., named 6th president of Houghton College.

Houghton College has named Wayne Lewis, Jr. as the college's sixth president, replacing Shirley Mullen, who announced last fallshe would retire this year after 15 years leading Christian college in Allegany County.

Lewis most recently was Dean of the School of Education at Belmont University in Kentucky. Before that, he was the state's education commissioner.

In a statement, Houghton Board of Trustees Chair John Lee said that, “I have clearly seen God at work during Houghton’s search for our next president. In multiple settings during the interview process, Dr. Wayne Lewis has exemplified and articulated his calling to lead Houghton College into our next exciting chapter. Dr. Lewis is a servant-leader who will be an excellent fit for Houghton’s enduring mission of developing scholar-servants in a changing world.” 

In a statement, Lewis said that he is “deeply humbled” to be selected as the next president of “one of the finest Christian liberal arts and sciences colleges in the nation.”

Houghton’s Board of Trustees says the college is poised for strategic growth as it looks to make Houghton’s education an option for more students. Officials said that includes a recent tuition reduction.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.