United States Sports Academy alumnus Dr. Dexter Davis earned an Outstanding Teacher Award and a promotion within the faculty ranks at the University of Tennessee-Martin this summer.
Davis holds a Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the Academy. In addition to his work at UT-Martin, Davis is also a member of the Academy’s non-resident faculty teaching sports management courses. Currently the sport business program coordinator, Davis was promoted to full professor status this summer.
Davis was one of two UT-Martin faculty members recognized by the University of Tennessee Alumni Association with their annual Outstanding Teacher Award. Recipients of the Outstanding Teacher Award are nominated by students, faculty and alumni based on classroom performance, scholarship and service. The award has been presented since 1966 to faculty members from all UT campuses and includes a one-time stipend of $2,000.
Davis has taught at UT Martin since 2013. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from New York’s Houghton College, a master’s degree in physical education and athletic administration from Canisius College, and a Doctor of Education in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy.
Since coming to UT Martin, Davis has organized regional and national trips that allow students to gain firsthand experience working at sporting events such as the Jackson-Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce Celebrity Golf Classic, the NFL Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, and NASCAR events at Nashville Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
“This is more than a job for me; it has become a calling and I just strive every day to have an impact of the lives of the students I come into contact with,” Davis said. “I am truly humbled by this award and have been blessed to have great mentors along the way that have helped mold me into the educator that I am today. Saying ‘thank you’ to all those that have helped me along this path doesn’t do justice to the gratitude I feel for that group of people.”
In addition to his Academy degree, Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Houghton University in Houghton, N.Y. He earned his master’s degree in physical education from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.
