Academic Background
Dr. W. Sumner Davis, or Bill as his students know him, has been teaching courses at Unity College since 2010. Bill is an experienced educator with a wide variety of education and experience, including a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Masters degree in community psychology, Masters degree in divinity, Masters degree in public health sciences, a Certificate of Advanced Study in behavior systems theory, Doctor of Theology, and currently completing a PhD in epidemiology. Bill is an experienced public speaker and presenter at conferences and educational workshops on topics of psychology, behavior, and cognition. Topics of interest for Bill are psychiatric epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, virology, society and culture, education, and classroom dynamics.
Bill is active in professional organizations, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Epidemiology, member at large of the British Institute of Learning Disabilities, member of the New York Academy of Sciences, and member of Scientist Without Borders. Concerning his instructional style, Bill uses what he likes to call the "Whole Person Model" of instruction. "Students are exposed to concepts and theories as part of a working model, rather than simply an academic exercise. Utilizing practical experience in the areas of psychology and behavior, I present the material in an exciting and interesting manner, one that elicits both interest and attention from students. By engaging in relative, real world applications, students are able to better understand the concepts, and better apply those concepts in a practical application. Relevance is key to learning."
