LEWIS HOUSE STAFF
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Meet the Lewis House staff—always friendly and thoughtful, sometimes witty and wise (we hope).
Brian Marshall
DIRECTOR
Brian Marshall is the founder of Lewis House. His background is in philosophy and theology, having previously been an adjunct philosophy instructor at Asbury University. He has worked in college ministry for nearly 20 years with Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) at the University of Kentucky. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. His love of C.S. Lewis extends to Lewis-connected middle names for his three children he shares with his wife, Shelby.
Dr. Derek King
SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE
Derek King (Ph.D., University of St Andrews) is the Scholar-in-Residence at Lewis House. His role is both ministerial (he hangs with students) and academic (he hangs with nerds). Derek and his wife, Bethany, have two kids: Lewis and Iona. You can read more about his work here.
Kate Grounds
ASSOCIATE STAFF
Kate joined our Lewis House staff in February 2023! She mentors our female scholars, helps lead book groups, runs our social media, and more. She studied education in undergrad and has a Masters in Theology from Asbury Theological Seminary. If you ever want to talk about theology, photography, or Taylor Swift, Kate’s your girl!
C. J. Carter
ASSOCIATE STAFF
C. J. Carter splits his time between Lewis House and teaching high school. At Lewis House, in addition to leading groups of Lewis House scholars and planning the lecture series, he takes charge of the library and tries to help Lewis House resist the slow descent into the aesthetic abyss. At the Latin School he teaches literature, European History, and U. S. Government. He has a wife and two daughters and is happily entering middle age.
Nick Grounds
ASSOCIATE STAFF
Nick is our newest full-time staff associate here at the Lewis House. If he’s not reading in the library, you can catch him leading a scholar’s group or teaching philosophy at his Alma Mater, Asbury University. Besides his heart for college students, Nick is the only faculty member, as far as we are aware, that commutes to class on a OneWheel skateboard. He earned his MA in philosophy and apologetics from Asbury Theological Seminary, where he completed his thesis in philosophy. Nick married his high school sweetheart Corinne, and his proudest achievement thus far in life is being a father to his precious daughter Aoife (ee-fuh).
Ava Weece
ASSOCIATE STAFF
Ava joined the Lewis House staff in June 2024, after graduating with a degree in English at the University of Kentucky. In the fall, she will be pursuing a Masters in Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. She helps with all things book-related at Lewis House, along with serving on the content team for Christian Student Fellowship (CSF). She lives in Lexington with 3 wonderful roommates and can often be found baking or taking walks around the neighborhood.
Madeleine Bechtold
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
“Madeleine is the Director of Operations at Lewis House. When offered the role, her husband responded with “Are they sure? Do they know you leave laundry in the dryer for days?” Originally from Houston, Texas she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English Literature. She has a husband, Hunter, and two little boys, William and John Lewis. In her free time—when not entertaining a baby and a toddler in extremely high-pitched-sing-songy tones—you can find her reading, listening to opera at the maximum volume or enjoying the phenomenon that real seasons actually exist.”