Dr. John Wesley Lowery is a professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He previously served on the faculty and coordinated graduate preparation programs at Oklahoma State University and the University of South Carolina. He earned his doctorate at BGSU in Higher Education Administration. Before beginning his doctoral work, he was Director of Residence Life at Adrian College in Michigan and University Judicial Administrator at Washington University in St. Louis. John holds a Masters degree in student personnel services from USC and an undergraduate degree from UVA in religious studies.
John is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to student affairs and higher education, particularly legislative issues and student conduct on which he is widely regarding as a leading expert. Over his career, John has been honored by several professional organizations. In 2025, he was recognized as one of the inaugural recipients of the Legacy of Excellence award by the Raymond H. Goldstone ASCA Foundation. The Legacy of Excellence Award recognizes individuals who have left an enduring impact on the profession through significant contributions to the field of student conduct, impactful scholarship and research, and leadership within ASCA and other organizations. In 2022, he received the George D. Kuh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award from NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education as well as the Donald D. Gehring Award from the Association for Student Conduct Administration. In 2020, he was recognized by the NASPA Foundation as a Pillar of the Profession. In 2014, John was recognized as an ACPA Diamond Honoree for outstanding and sustained contributions to higher education and to student affairs. He has twice received the Tracy R. Teele Memorial Award from ACPA’s Commission for Student Conduct and Legal Issues for “outstanding contributions to the area of judicial affairs and legal issues.” At the 2007 ASCA Conference, he received the D. Parker Young Award for “outstanding ongoing scholarly research contributions to the fields of higher education and student judicial affairs.”