Director, Center for Academic Excellence
Asbury University
Dr. Henry Zonio joined Asbury University in 2021 as the Director of the Center for Academic Excellence. In that capacity, he oversees programs and services aimed at enhancing student learning, academic support, and overall success. He also serves as the Title IX Coordinator for the institution.
Before assuming this leadership role, Dr. Zonio taught sociology at Asbury and at several regional universities, including the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, and Transylvania University.
His areas of scholarly interest lie at the intersection of social inequalities, education, religion, and childhood/adolescence. In particular, he examines how religious education in congregational settings shapes children’s understanding of race, gender, and identity.
Dr. Zonio brings multiple decades of hands-on experience in children’s and family ministry to his academic work, having previously served as a pastor in the U.S. and Canada, where he oversaw children’s and family programming.
He has published widely, authoring book chapters and articles such as “In His Image: Constructing Gender in Sunday School” and “Normalizing White Spirituality in Children’s Sunday School Curricula.” In 2022, he received a Louisville Institute Project Grant to study youth attitudes toward race and religion, extending his doctoral research into the next generation of faith formation.
Education
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Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Kentucky
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M.A. in Sociology, San Jose State University
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B.A., Chemistry/Biology (summa cum laude), Asbury University (class of 1997)
In addition to his academic duties, Dr. Zonio sits on the board of the Children’s Spirituality Summit and contributes to initiatives such as the Equity Audit team for the Godly Play Foundation.
He is passionate about equipping students not only with academic skills, but also with confidence, critical thinking, and the frameworks to engage ethically and empathetically in diverse communities.
