T.W. Lewis Center welcomes new executive director

Leadership at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University has announced the appointment of Ann Atkinson as executive director of the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development.

Atkinson is an ASU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in finance from the W. P. Carey School of Business and honors from Barrett, The Honors College. She began her distinguished 17-year health care real estate investment career with an internship she completed as a student in Barrett. She is an entrepreneur, CEO and former public company executive.

Atkinson will oversee the vision and execution of the T.W. Lewis Center, where she will lead a team of faculty and staff and manage operations. She succeeds Scott Kaufmann, the center’s first executive director.

“Ann understands the value of a Barrett education and how the T.W. Lewis Center enhances honors students’ experiences and supports them in their personal and academic journeys,” said Mark Jacobs, vice provost and dean of Barrett, The Honors College.

“Students will need extra support as they transition back to campus, and we’re lucky to have Ann leading the way at the Lewis Center.”

The T.W. Lewis Center was established in July 2019 with support from the T.W. Lewis Foundation and Barrett, The Honors College. The center prepares Barrett students for the challenges and opportunities of life through innovative courses, workshops and an engaging speaker series focused on self-awareness (behaviors, values, strengths), personal values, character development, leadership, entrepreneurship, decision-making, risk-taking, career planning, success and happiness.

T.W. Lewis Center courses, which can be taken for honors credit, are available to Barrett, The Honors College students at all four ASU campuses.

In addition to courses, workshops and a speaker series, the Lewis Center offers other programs including a personal finance series, Career Exploration Day, ATHENA Leadership Institute, Entrepreneur Bootcamp, LinkedIn Learning courses, and a series on character-driven leadership with ASU’s Leadership Diplomacy and National Security Lab.   

Atkinson said she is looking forward to leading the T.W. Lewis Center into the future with a focus on growing programs, student participation and community engagement.

“My career has enabled me to build a strong network of relationships with some of the foremost leaders in the community and the nation and I now have the opportunity to introduce Barrett students to these leaders,” Atkinson said. “I look forward to applying the combination of my business and life experience, my allegiance to my alma mater, and my passion to elevate the next generation, to help Barrett students achieve success beyond the classroom.”