Reception & Ignite Talks: Friday, April 11, 2025
Conference: Saturday, April 12, 2025
Cultivating and Maximizing Human Intelligences in RHE
Conference Chairs
Debra Nickles
nickles@ohio.edu
Greg Obi
obi@ohio.edu
Conference Location
OHIO University - Chillicothe
101 University Dr
Chillicothe, OH 45601
Keynote Speaker
Weathering the Storm: The Resilience of Regional Higher Education
Lewatis McNeal, PhD, MPH
Vice Provost for Regional Higher Education
Ohio University
Dr. Lewatis McNeal is the Vice Provost for Regional Higher Education at Ohio University. Dr. McNeal leads the regional higher education system for Ohio University. He collaborates with leaders and identifies and responds to educational needs throughout the service region. Additionally, Dr. McNeal leads the development and implementation of strategies related to enrollment, student success, and community engagement for the regional campuses.
Before Joining Ohio University, Dr. McNeal served as Associate Dean of Administration and Diversity for the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. While at Arkansas, Dr. McNeal provided leadership and oversight to the administrative operations of the College and served as the leader for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the College.
Dr. McNeal also spent time at Northern Kentucky University as an Associate Dean/Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health in the College of Health and Human Services. At NKU, Dr. McNeal led administrative operations, provided leadership and guidance for diversity and inclusive excellence initiatives, and assisted with ensuring academic quality in teaching, scholarship, service, and accreditation within the college.
Dr. McNeal has been recognized by his peers for his work in higher education and Public Health. In 2018-19, he received Northern Kentucky University’s Black Faculty and Staff Association Presidential Award. Additionally, Dr. McNeal was recognized as the 2019 Alumnus of the Year by the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Dr. McNeal completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences at the University of Louisville. He also received his Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and his Master of Public Health from Western Kentucky University.