R.J. Davis

R.J. Davis, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Lamar University, specializing in Counselor Education. They hold a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, an M.S. in Counseling from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and a B.A. in Communication Education from the University of Central Oklahoma. Their work focuses on online counselor education, social justice in mental health, and human rights advocacy.

Notable achievements include co-editing the textbook Online Counselor Education: A Guide for Students (2015) and receiving the Kitty Cole Human Rights Award (2016). They previously served as President of Texas Counselors for Social Justice (2014-2015). Davis teaches in the M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and emphasizes transformative education.

Prior to academia, Davis spent a decade as a public middle school teacher, certified in English, American History, Speech, and Theatre. Their research and teaching highlight empathy, lifelong learning, and addressing burnout in helping professions.