Leadership
Our Team
Erin Lewis
Executive Director for Center for Innovation and Change
Ridgway University Center, Room 273
812-488-5002
el131@evansville.edu
Design Thinking Certifications: Henry Ford Learning Institute, IBM Practitioner
Erin Lewis joined the Center for Innovation & Change in June 2015 as a program director, became interim director in 2019, and was appointed executive director in 2021. Prior to joining the Center, she served as former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Director of Outreach at iCivics, directing its national field networks, communications and partnerships. She also served as a Research Assistant at the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, Indiana's Director of Civic Education for six years, and is a former United States Marine, having completed Officer Candidate School in Quantico. She obtained her Masters of Public Affairs in Policy Analysis with Honors from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. While there, she helped create the Center for Civic Literacy, and completed IU's rigorous Oxford University comparative climate change summer program in England. In 2013, she was one of only three graduate students to receive the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion for service to the community. She also serves as advisor to UE's Dance Company and the Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity, and is a proud UE alumna - having received her B.S. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Evansville in 2001. In 2018-2019, she was named UE's Administrator of the Year, and is a member of UE's Coronavirus Task Force, which collectively received the President's Distinguished Service Award for excellence in leadership and guidance during the pandemic.
Andrew Carter '07, M'14
Associate Director for the Center for Innovation and Change
Ridgway University Center
812-488-2143
ac116@evansville.edu
Derek Jones, PhD
(he/him/his)
Director, Cognitive Science Program and Faculty Director, Center for Innovation & Change
Ridgway University Center, Room 270
812-488-1045
dj4@evansville.edu
Dr. Jones joined the Center for Innovation and Change as Faculty Director in June 2021. He is Associate Professor of Cognitive Science and has directed the Cognitive Science program at UE since 2013. He also currently directs the First Year Seminar program. Dr. Jones has held many of faculty leadership positions during his time at UE, including Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate and co-chair of the UE Mission and Core Values Workgroup. He received the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Teaching Award in 2019.
Dr. Jones graduated from the University of Evansville with a BA and a BFA in 2003. He served as an officer in the Army after graduating, and then went on to earn an MA from the University of Houston in 2007 and a Ph.D in Philosophy from Indiana University in 2013. His current research interests include the psychology of creativity, expertise, skill acquisition, technology, and embodied cognition, and he has published a book and several articles on related topics. His broader educational interests, which guide his work as Faculty Director, concern the modern university's potential as a catalyst for social good and the cognitive needs of the 21st century student.
Jacklyn Ady
Adjunct/Master of Science in Leadership
Design Kit: Human-Centered Design (+Acumen and IDEO.org)
Facilitator's Guide: Human-Centered Design (+Acumen and IDEO.org through NovoEd)
Jacklyn Ady is a design and business leader passionate about product development, trend research, human-centered design, design thinking, brand identity, business, and marketing strategy.
Ady is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design (Product Design) from the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) and holds a master's degree in Business Administration in the Global Leader Program from the Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB). Her career includes designing commercial and residential furniture, sporting goods, children's toys, design research, and managing product development cycles.
She teaches as an adjunct at the University of Evansville in ChangeLab, Master of Science in Leadership, and Organizational Leadership programs. She instructs classes on innovation, strategic decision-making, and social entrepreneurship. She also serves as the Chief Innovation Coach for the Center for Innovation & Change to support students and faculty.
Ady is currently the Product Manager for the billiards division at Escalade Sports which includes American Heritage Billiards and Cue & Case. She is responsible for identifying and applying product design trends to create and develop innovation across the billiards category.
Dina Willming
Senior Administrative Assistant / Center for Innovation and Change
812-488-2455
dw285@evansville.edu
She and her husband Greg and have 5 children. They are a busy family that loves to spend time outdoors and travel. Dina is absolutely thrilled to be back at the University of Evansville working in the Center for Innovation and Change.
Robert Lopez
ChangeLab Student Executive for the Center for Innovation and Change
University Center, CFIC
rl138@evansville.edu
Ryan Pietruszkiewicz
Center for Innovation and Change Intern
Office Phone
812-488-2455
Office Email
centerforinnovation@evansville.edu
Office Location
Rooms 270-274, Ridgway University Center
