By Courtney Roberts
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University has announced the naming of the atrium in the Levine Hall of Health Sciences in honor of Dr. C. Lynn Lewis and the late Janet Blackburn Lewis, in recognition of the couple’s support for the Beaver College of Health Sciences and their contributions to the expansion of rural health care.
In memory of his late wife, Lewis has also committed to a significant investment in scholarship support for health sciences students, in addition to making a number of other substantial contributions to the college and to the university.
(Image shows Dr. Lynn Lewis (left) speaking to Amanda Blackburn at the Atrium dedication event. Photos by Thep Sirimongkhon.)
A legacy of community investment
Ashe County natives Lynn and Janet shared a passion for enriching communities by improving access to resources like education and health care.
Janet — who held degrees from Lees-McRae College and UNC Greensboro — taught English for 34 years at Western Guilford High School.
During her career, she started the inaugural speech and debate team at Western Guilford, served as the yearbook advisor and distinguished herself as the school’s first teacher to achieve National Board Certification. She also held a position as an officer in the North Carolina English Teachers’ Association.
Lynn earned degrees from Lees-McRae College and UNC Chapel Hill before becoming an EMT-Paramedic. After earning an additional degree from UNC Chapel Hill in dentistry, he established a dental practice in Burlington.
Throughout their careers, the couple remained dedicated to serving and supporting North Carolina communities — particularly rural communities like the one in which they were raised.
(Image shows group of attendees at the Atrium dedication event.)
Generational impact
In addition to establishing the Dr. C. Lynn Lewis and Janet Blackburn Lewis Endowed Scholarship for Health Sciences, Lynn has also funded multiple scholarships honoring the educators who played important roles in his life.
During his time at Lees-McRae, Lynn took classes with Professor Al Overbay, who taught at the college in addition to holding a position as an assistant professor at App State.
Lynn credits the rigor of Overbay’s chemistry courses with equipping him for success in his later studies.
Lynn also cites Overbay as influencing his decision to begin supporting App State and the Beaver College. In 2024, to recognize Overbay’s enduring influence on generations of students, Lynn established the Assistant Professor Emeritus Al Overbay Scholarship and funded the naming of a classroom in Levine Hall.
He also established the Dr. William Clay Church Endowed Scholarship for Health Sciences in tribute to his high school biology teacher, an App State alumnus and fellow High Country native. Church also worked as a dentist, inspiring Lewis to pursue a career in dentistry himself.
Both scholarships are available to health sciences students with a GPA at or above 3.0, with preference given to students from Western North Carolina.
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across six departments: Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health and Exercise Science, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About University Advancement
Appalachian State University’s Division of University Advancement supports and encourages the university’s mission by engaging alumni, friends and the greater community. University Advancement staff help connect these constituents with Appalachian through one-on-one contact and special programming, thereby securing the resources necessary to create the best possible learning environment for Appalachian students and to positively impact the community, region and state. The division incorporates the offices of Alumni Affairs, Development and the Appalachian State University Foundation Inc. Learn more at http://give.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
