A beloved professor, mentor, esteemed colleague, and the recipient of SXU’s African-American Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty for this academic year; only begins to express the extraordinary Professor, Vincent Davis. Professor Davis is viewed highly here at SXU from his fellow colleagues and from his students. He has made an immense impact on the school and many of the people in it.
When speaking with Dr. Blake Paxton, a Communication professor at SXU, it was evident to see that he had true admiration for Professor Davis. Throughout the interview, Dr. Paxton shared how funny, energetic, and caring Professor Davis is during his classes and with his colleagues. Dr. Paxton is inspired by the way Professor Davis is able to balance being a full time professor, a PhD student, mentor, and father while still keeping a smile on his face and having such an upbeat energy. Dr. Paxton cherishes the time he spends with Professor Davis and the valuable lessons he learns from him. Professor Davis often shares stories about his work in the corporate world, and Dr. Paxton loves hearing about his past career and truly appreciates the real-life experiences that are shared to add more emphasis and value to each lesson.
Moreover, Dr. Paxton emphasizes how clear it is that Professor Davis consistently puts 110% effort into every aspect of his life, whether that be to his own academic studies, his students’ success, or his meetings with the Communication department. Dr. Paxton has seen throughout the years how student-centric Professor Davis is and how invested he is in seeing his students succeed. Dr. Paxton judges alongside Professor Davis at a speech competition hosted once a year at SXU. Dr. Paxton has seen firsthand the great pride he has in his students that are selected for this competition and even the ones who end placing in the top few spots. He concluded the interview by honing in on Professor Davis’ ability to view each student as a whole and takes time outside of the classroom to make sure that all their needs are met and that they are each given the resources to succeed.
Another colleague, Professor Pete Kreten, also had kind words to share about Professor Davis. Pete and Professor Davis go way back to when Pete just became a professor at SXU and Professor Davis was receiving his Bachelor’s degree. They were both highly involved in the radio show at SXU, and they would often bounce ideas off of each other about working in the professional world or deep conversations about current events. Pete emphasized that even back then, he saw the passion he had for school and for the subjects he was researching. Pete sees the true investment that Professor Davis has in SXU and how much pride and respect he has for the school.
In addition, I also spoke to Professor Cindy Grobmeier about Professor Davis as well. She said that ever since she interviewed Professor Davis for the teaching position at SXU he has been making her laugh. Even referring to her as his ‘big sis.’ All of the professors of the communication department really emphasized how they are all part of a big family at SXU and that Professor Davis is a perfect fit. Also, Professor Grobmeier mentioned how Professor Davis is so engaging with his students and how students have come to her to express how amazing of a professor he is.
Lastly, I spoke with the man of the hour himself, Professor Vincent Davis, and he cannot thank everyone enough for not only nominating him for the award, but the continuous praise and love he receives everyday from fellow staff and students. He came here at SXU to teach students from a real life perspective and he hoped that it would be received well. Over the years, he has figured out how well his teaching style is resonating with students and is grateful to pass down his wisdom. He cannot express enough how much he loves teaching and being there for his students in and outside of the classroom. A few years ago when he was figuring his next career move he thought he was just going to move up the corporate ladder, but he is more than happy with his decision to teach and immerse himself more in academia. He knows that God always has a reason for what he is doing, and these years of teaching at SXU has emphasized the importance of his work and that his decision to teach has only provided more meaning to his life.
It is clear to see that Professor Davis has a really strong commitment to bettering SXU and making it a great place to learn and grow. Overall, all of his colleagues and students view Professor Davis as a great and honorable man that deserves this award and many more to come. His hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed, and he has influenced both his colleagues and students to become better versions of themselves.