Welcome Beverly Davis, new BAS director

Beverly Davis, Ph.D, LICSW, is the new director of Seattle Central’s Applied Behavioral Science (BAS) Bachelor’s Degree Program. Davis brings more than twenty years experience in social services, with a focus on individuals of color.

Although she is a native of New York, she has also worked in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Most recently, she was director of King County’s children crisis outreach response system. Before moving to Seattle, she was the Southeast regional director at the Pennsylvania Council of Children, youth and families in Philadelphia. She was also the Administrator of the Family Services Administration in Washington, D.C. She brings many years of teaching experience, having held positions at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Cornell Medical Center, Delaware County Community College, Marywood University, Temple University, and Widener University.

Davis has a Ph.D. in social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. She earned her master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Bryn Mawr College.

Davis says the position at Seattle Central appealed to her because it allows her to combine her love of academia with the practice skills she has honed over the years. “I have a passion for teaching,” she says. “And am I excited to be a part of a program that offers options and resources to those who want to pursue an education in this field.”

The BAS class of 2012 began this fall. The program is full and has a diverse set of students – many of them older students who are returning to school after working in the field for some time. “These are highly opinionated and motivated students,” Davis says, “they are fun to teach.”

The BAS program took years to develop and guide through the State Board approval process. “There have been many people involved in creating this program,” says Davis. “I want to recognize those efforts and emphasize that it will require the contributions of our entire campus community for this program to be successful.”

Davis joined Seattle Central in September. She says she feels “very welcomed” and is grateful for the strong commitment to the BAS program.