In 1987, he went on to receive his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy and Leadership from Ohio State University.
His dissertation was titled Connections: Things That Matter to Teachers in Small Colleges.
While completing his doctoral studies, he received the Earl W. Anderson Award for Research in Higher Education from Ohio State’s College of Education.
[1] President Edwards is commonly and popularly referred to as "P. Eddy" by the Anderson University students.
As of 2014, Edwards has officially announced that he is stepping down as president and will conclude by the end of the 2014-2015 academic year.