For her personal commitment to each graduate student, her enthusiasm and belief that every young person has the ability to succeed, Boyd Davis is the2005 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award recipient.
The UNC Charlotte Chancellor’s Office and the Graduate School present the honor in memory of Harshini de Silva, an associate professor of biology who was dedicated to the academic and professional development of her graduate students. Davis, Bonnie E. Cone Professor of Teaching and professor of English, received a crystal obelisk, framed citation and a cash prize. She was honored at the Graduate Mentor Award Dinner and Ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center Salons.
An important criterion in making the selection is continued interest in the growth and success of graduate students. In nominating Davis, Cy Knoblauch, chair of the Department of English said, “To an exceptional degree, Boyd makes time for her students, takes their thinking seriously and treats them like the professionals they desire to be. The enthusiasm and affection that stand out in their supporting letters make it plain that she satisfies the expectations about successful mentoring that are embodied in the de Silva award.”
Ann Carver, professor of English at Shu Te University, Taiwan, and one of Davis’ nominators, said what makes Davis’ mentoring exceptionally effective is her personal commitment to each individual and her belief in their ability to succeed professionally and grow personally. “Dr. Davis genuinely believes that each graduate student and young faculty person possesses something of value to contribute,” she said.
An accomplished scholar and adjunct gerontology professor, Davis has written several books and numerous scholarly journal articles on historical, comparative and applied linguistics. She also co-produced the Charlotte section of “Voices of North Carolina,” a PBS documentary about the state’s language heritage. She received the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence in 1977 and was named to a Bonnie Cone Distinguished Professorship in 1997.
After receiving her A.B. degree in French and English at the University of Kentucky, Davis attended UNC Chapel Hill, earning a master’s of art and a doctorate in historical and comparative linguistics, applied linguistics and medieval literature. She joined the faculty at UNC Charlotte in 1970.