Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health

 

Sheila P. Davis, Ph.D., RN

Deputy Director

Dr. Davis, a native of Sumter, South Carolina, is a 1975 graduate of the Associate Degree in nursing program at The University of South Carolina. She then successfully completed three other degrees in nursing:   BSN from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), 1983 (Magna Cum Laude); the MSN in Cardiovascular Nursing from the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) (1984); and the PhD in Nursing Education from Georgia State University (GSU) (1993).
 
In nursing, Dr. Davis has served with distinction in hospitals in South Carolina and Alabama.  From 1984 -1991, she was employed by The University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) as an instructor and later, Assistant Professor of Nursing.  At UAB, she initiated and coordinated the first State of Black Health Regional Conference and was awarded the Level III Faculty Recognition Award. From 1991 – 1995, she served as chair of the Department of Nursing at Oakwood College.  She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Oakwood in 1995. Currently, she serves as assistant dean and director of the PhD in Nursing program at The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Deputy Director of The Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic and Minority Health Disparities and Founder and Editor of the Online Journal of Health Ethics.

A partial list Dr. Davis’ honors and awards include:  PhD Faculty of the Year award, UMC (2001), Jan Evers Research Fellowship Recipient (2001), Full appointment to a National Institute of Health study section ( 2002), Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Research Award (2003), Lifetime National Associate Membership into the National Academies of Science – Institute of Medicine (2003) and Nelson Order Faculty Recognition for Teaching Excellence (UMC (2004, 2007)  In addition, she is well published and presents her research on childhood obesity  nationally and internationally. Last, November 10, 2007, Dr. Davis will be inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

She is married to Dr. Melvin Davis (~34 years). To this union they have two adult daughters, Deia Davis-Williams (Dr. Nathan Williams) and Danyetta Davis, PhD, and three grandchildren, Nadia, Delia, and Micah.

Dr. Sheila Davis is an ordained elder at South Jackson Seventh-day Adventist church in Jackson Mississippi and is very active in Family Life and Health ministries.

To God, I am so very grateful for His favor. May my life rightly demonstrate the qualities of My Father.