Short bio
99 wordsDr. Kate Lewis is a certified professional coach and Professor of Biology at Syracuse University, where she served as Department Chair from 2020–2023. A former Kennedy Memorial Scholar at Harvard and Royal Society Research Fellow at Cambridge, she has spent decades leading research teams, mentoring early-career scientists, and navigating academic research and leadership on two continents.
Kate now coaches STEM professionals and academics through leadership challenges, career transitions, tenure-track pressures, and the everyday struggle to focus on what matters most, helping them make meaningful changes, work more sustainably and in alignment with their values, and achieve their full potential.
Full bio
327 wordsProfessor Kate Lewis is a certified professional coach and experienced workshop facilitator who helps STEM academics and professionals navigate demanding careers, lead with greater confidence, and build fulfilling lives aligned with their goals and values.
Kate brings a rare combination of professional coaching expertise and more than three decades of firsthand experience navigating and leading within academic science. She is a Professor of Biology and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University, where she previously chaired the Biology Department (2020–2023), leading more than 50 faculty and staff and over 700 students. She also directed Syracuse’s undergraduate Neuroscience program (2017–2020) and co-directed its Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) initiative across 18 departments (2017–2024).
Her academic career began with a First Class degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge, followed by a Kennedy Scholarship at Harvard, a PhD from University College London, and postdoctoral research at the University of Oregon. From 2004–2010, she held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Cambridge and a Fellowship at King’s College, Cambridge.
As a principal investigator, Kate has led an internationally recognized research program funded by the NIH, NSF, MRC, NY State, HFSP, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society and other private foundations, and she has mentored faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate researchers throughout her career.
Kate has also completed extensive training in executive coaching, leadership, and professional development. She works with clients who are struggling to find time for what matters most, developing as leaders, managing research teams, considering career changes, preparing for tenure (or for life after it), or simply seeking a more sustainable professional life, combining thoughtful questioning with practical strategies, accountability, and a deep understanding of the academic and STEM environments her clients navigate.
Outside of coaching, Kate can usually be found reading, hiking, gardening, or out on the water, pursuits that keep her grounded and reflect the same balance and intentionality she helps her clients bring to their own lives.
Headshots
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You’re welcome to use these bios and photos to promote events and publications featuring Professor Kate Lewis. Need something else? Email kate@professorkate.com.
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