Susan A. Davis
Professor
Fields of Study: Music Education
Degrees & Studies:
PhD, New York University
Biographical Information:
Dr. Susan A. Davis is Professor and Graduate Coordinator of Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. She teaches courses in instrumental methods, music education research, the psychology of music and music education, and mentors undergraduate and graduate student teachers.
Her research on culturally responsive music praxis and philosophy has resulted in numerous publications and international presentations, with contributions to the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, String Research Journal, Music Educators Journal, Visions of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Journal of General Music Education, American String Teacher, International Journal of Music Education, and the Oxford Handbook of Feminism and Music Education. She is also an active clinician and conductor throughout the Northeast.
Since 2017, Professor Davis has played a central role in Queens College’s accreditation efforts, contributing to the institution’s successful bid for initial accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music in 2021. Building on that work, she served as the Provost’s Middle States Faculty Fellow in 2023–24, during which she designed and launched the Departmental Advisor Hub to strengthen faculty advising and student success. She currently serves as a Working Group Co-Chair for Middle States Standard IV in preparation for Queens College’s 2024–26 re-accreditation process. Her honors include the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Arts and Humanities (2024), a CUNY Mellon Faculty Diversity Fellowship (2016–17), and the Faculty Day Award for Excellence in Teaching at Brooklyn College (2015).
Dr. Davis earned a B.F.A. in Music Performance from Stony Brook University and an M.S.Ed. in Music Education from Queens College. She taught in public schools for 11 years before completing her Ph.D. in Music Education at New York University, where her research focused on the mentorship of pre-service and in-service teachers.