Dr. Mike Davis receives Walter O. Mason TRIO Achiever Award

OKLAHOMA CITY - Dr. Mike Davis, associate professor of criminal justice and special assistant to the President for compliance at Southeastern Oklahoma State University was honored by the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance as the recipient of the Walter O. Mason TRIO Achiever Award at the OSDA's annual convention on Tuesday.

Davis completed the TRIO Upward Bound program as a first-generation college student in 2003 while a student at Durant High School. He then was an Honors Program graduate at Southeastern, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history in 2007. He earned a J.D. in law from OU in 2010, a M.S. in criminal justice from the University of Oklahoma in 2018, and a Ph.D. in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands in 2021.

He has been employed at Southeastern since 2010 in numerous roles, including teaching criminal justice and serving as special assistant to the president for compliance since 2019. He is a widely published author in criminal justice and leadership and is an active researcher in the field of emotional intelligence.

The Mason TRIO Achiever candidate must be a former TRIO participant who was enrolled in and successfully completed an Oklahoma TRIO program; have successfully completed a post-secondary education program of study resulting in a baccalaureate or terminal degree from an accredited institution of higher education; be a person of high stature within their profession or received recognition for outstanding academic achievement; be currently employed above the entry level designation for their profession or enrolled in a program for a degree above the baccalaureate degree; and have significant civic, community, or professional contributions.

"It's been a joy to see Mike start his academic journey as a TRIO student, excel as a student leader at SE, and now thrive in his career in higher education," said Corey Hammel, director of Upward Bound at Southeastern, who nominated Davis for the award. "Mike has taken his opportunities and used them to consistently help others in their higher education journeys. I will continue to cheer him on in his pursuits."

The Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance (ODSA) is a non-profit professional organization that provides resources to federal TRIO programs in the state of Oklahoma. Each of these programs provides much-needed resources to more than 26,000 students who face social, academic, economic and cultural barriers in their pursuit of higher education.

The Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects.