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Overview

The University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College provides an enhanced course of instruction for outstanding, highly motivated students from all programs of study. Honors education is, at its heart, a liberal arts education that coupled with the resources available at the major research land-grant University of Kentucky make Lewis Honors College a unique experience. Regardless of major, the fundamental goal of Honors education is to provide all students with a broad, critical intellectual base from which they can then engage more deeply and thoughtfully in their chosen fields.

The mission of the Lewis Honors College is to better the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the world by helping students to explore their purpose, develop intellectually, and lead with integrity.

Honors students are diverse, innovative, intellectually engaged, and interested in creative thought. They are expected to be citizens of their University and their world, and to possess an inquisitive attitude toward a wide range of ideas and intellectual concepts.

News and Events

4 students named Excellent Undergraduate Research Ambassadors (2 are Honors)

Every year, the University of Kentucky’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) selects a new cohort of Undergraduate Research Ambassadors — a group of outstanding students who serve as advocates for undergraduate research and creative scholarship at UK.

Celebrating UK graduates: Highlights from May 2025 Commencement

The University of Kentucky community celebrated a transformational milestone this weekend at the May 2025 Commencement ceremonies. To view Friday’s ceremonies, visit: https://youtube.com/live/YsmiII45gvo?feature=share.   To view Saturday’s ceremony, visit: https://youtube.com/live/ZPyWV2ndfAY?feature=share.

Lewis Honors College recognized 303 graduates

The University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College celebrated 303 seniors during its annual Medal Ceremony held on Thursday, May 8, at Historic Memorial Coliseum. UK Vice Provost Jana Jasinski, Ph.D.; T. W. Lewis Dean Christian Brady, DPhil (Oxon.); Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Pearl James, Ph.D.; and Assistant Dean of Student Engagement Sally Foster shared highlights about the Honors graduates before awarding each student an Honors medallion. In addition, all graduates will receive an Honors designation on their transcript.

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T.W. Lewis

Thomas W. Lewis is a seventh-generation Kentuckian who grew up in Lexington. He graduated from Bryan Station High School in 1967 and the University of Kentucky in 1971 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He received his Master’s in Business Administration in 1973 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tom began his career in real estate development. After 18 years with four different companies and building upon those experiences, he started his own home building business in 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona. T. W. Lewis Company built approximately 250 homes per year from 1991 through 2011 and received many awards during this period, including America’s Best Builder in 1998 and the National Housing Quality Gold Award in 2009. 

In 2001, Tom and his wife, Jan, formed T.W. Lewis Foundation to support higher education, children and families in need, youth education and a variety of community nonprofit organizations. In 2015, in order to give back to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Tom and Jan made a generous gift to the University of Kentucky to establish the Lewis Honors College. 

Mr. Lewis’ vision for the Lewis Honors College is to provide a world-class honors experience that is known for the success of its students, the quality of its faculty and curriculum, the respect of its peers and the economic and social progress of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Tom Lewis