ETSU has recognized Dr. Christine Lewis and Professor Cara Harker as 2025 Notable Women for their excellence in teaching, research and service.
Excellence in teaching. Groundbreaking research. Service that transforms lives.
East Tennessee State University’s Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program recently honored Dr. Christine Lewis and Professor Cara Harker as 2025 recipients of the Notable Women of ETSU Awards, recognizing two faculty members whose work exemplifies the kind of distinction that makes ETSU a leader in higher education.
Who is Dr. Christine Lewis?
Lewis serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services, where she has taught since 2021 across both school counseling and clinical mental health counseling programs.
A native of Collierville, Lewis holds multiple credentials, including Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Licensed School Counselor in Mississippi and Tennessee, National Certified Counselor and National Certified School Counselor. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling and supervision from the University of Mississippi in 2021.
Before entering academia, Lewis worked as a secondary school counselor and provided clinical mental health services across Mississippi. She currently serves as project director for the $325,000 PEACEFUL grant, funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.
Who is Professor Cara Harker?
Harker serves as chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and director of the dance minor program at ETSU.
Harker earned her MFA in theater performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Her creative work includes writing, choreographing, directing and performing in productions at festivals including New Orleans’ InFringe Fest and Cincinnati Fringe Festival, where her work “Memoir of a Mythomaniac: The True Story of a Compulsive Liar (or Tallulah Dies)” won the Dr. Robert J. Thierauf Producer's Pick of the Fringe Award.
She has presented her work internationally, including in Austria and the United Kingdom, and her book “Foundations for Performance Training: Skills for the Actor-Dancer” is published with Routledge.
At ETSU, Harker teaches courses ranging from “Introduction to Dance” to specialized classes in aerial, tap, ballroom and musical theater dance. She also directs and choreographs for the department’s main stage productions, including recent work on “Cabaret” and “The Wolves.”
Recognizing excellence at ETSU
The Notable Women of ETSU Awards represent the kind of faculty recognition that distinguishes ETSU as a leader in higher education.
Learn more about ETSU's nationally recognized programs and faculty achievements at etsu.edu/trailblazers.
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