CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Dr. Lauren Willis, former chair of the division of human performance at Campbellsville University, has been officially appointed as Dean of the newly named and expanded CU School of Human Performance.
The appointment of Willis comes after several academic areas within Campbellsville University began expanding their academic scope, offering more degrees to meet the ever-evolving job market.
One area that saw an expansion in course offerings was the division of human performance, now named the School of Human Performance.
Who better to serve the newly named school than its former chairperson and CU Alum, Dr. Lauren Willis.
Willis first set foot on CU’s campus in 2009, where she would find great success and family in her newfound home. By 2012, Lauren was ready to graduate with her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education.
Immediately after graduating, Willis joined the CU team as a full-time admissions counselor and as an assistant women’s golf coach, where she helped earn CU’s highest national ranking in school history (2014-2017).
It was not long after that Willis pursued her passion for Human Performance education and was chosen as the lead professor for health and physical education in 2016. Six years later, she would be named Chair of the Human Performance Division.
The devotion to CU and passion for higher education made the decision to choose Willis as the Human Performance Dean a perfect match.
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Jeanette Parker, shared her excitement for the newly named school. “The time is right for the Division of Human Performance to become the School of Human Performance. They have over 300 students in 20 programs of study, ranging from sport management to public health. As a key component of the College of Health Science, they continue to grow and are in the process of adding Kinesiology and Sport Performance programs.”
Parker continued, “Dr. Lauren Willis is a proven leader who continues the legacy leadership of Donna Wise with hard work, collaboration, and innovation. Dr. Willis continues to lead and grow the faculty and the programs - all focused on student success.”
Dr. Trevor Foshang, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, shared his excitement to work with Willis on the future of Human Performance at CU.
“Dr. Lauren Willis brings a rare combination of strategic vision, authentic leadership, and deep commitment to student development. She has consistently demonstrated the ability to inspire innovation and thoughtfully navigate growth opportunities within Human Performance.”
“We are all excited about the future of Human Performance at Campbellsville University,” said Foshang.
Willis also earned a master’s in theology degree from Campbellsville University (2015), a Master's in Sport Management degree from Campbellsville University (2016), and her Ph.D. in Educational Sciences with an emphasis in Physical Education from the University of Kentucky (2019). Dr. Willis is married to Cody, and they have twin girls, Ellie and Emma.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that offers over 100 programs, including doctoral, master's, bachelor's, associate and certificate programs. For complete information, please visit www.campbellsville.edu.