Larry E. Davis Dean, Donald M. Henderson Professor, and Director, Center on Race and Social Problems
Biography
Dr. Larry E. Davis, MA, MSW, Ph.D. is the Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is the Donald M. Henderson Professor. Dr. Davis is the Director and founder of the Center on Race and Social Problems. The mission of the Center is to conduct applied social science research on race, ethnicity, and color. He is also founder of the journal, Race and Social Problems.
Prior to his arrival at the University of Pittsburgh in 2001, Dr. Davis was a faculty member at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri since 1977, where he was a Professor of Social Work and Psychology and the holder of the E. Desmond Lee Chair in Ethnic and Racial Diversity.
Dr. Davis received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan’s dual-degree program in social work and psychology in 1977. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and a Masters in social work and a Masters in psychology from the University of Michigan.
His professional interests include interracial group dynamics, the impact of race, gender, and class on interpersonal interactions, youth, African American family formation; education and African American academic achievement.
He has received research funding from sources such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Some of his publications have appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Research, Social Work, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Black Psychology, Journal of Educational Psychology and Social Work Research. He has written, edited, or co-authored five books: Race, Gender and Class: Guidelines for Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups (co-authored with Enola Proctor), Ethnic Issues in Adolescent Mental Health (Co-edited with Arlene Stiffman), Working with African American Males: A Guide to Practice (2000), Black and Single: Finding and Choosing a Partner who is Right for You (3rd edition 2004), and Measuring Race and Ethnicity, co-authored with Rafael Engel (2011).
Dr. Davis has collaborated on several partnerships with local policymakers to confront issues such as increasing diversity and lowering racial disparities. Most recently, Dr. Davis was appointed by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to Chair the Allegheny County Public Safety Vision Team.
Dr. Davis is the co-editor in chief of the Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Edition, and the Founder and Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Race and Social Problems journal, Springer Publications.
He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Council on Social Work Education, Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and the Inter-University Consortium for International Social Development (IUCISD).
Selected Publications
Articles
Eack, S. M., Bahorik, A. L., Newhill, C. E., Neighbors, H. W., & Davis, L. E. (in press). Interviewer-perceived honesty mediates racial disparities in the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Psychiatric Services.
Davis, Larry E. Prologue: Race and Social Problems (2009), l, 1, pp.1-2
Vaughn, M. G., Wallace, J., Davis, L. E., Fernandes, G., & Howard, M. O., (2008) Variations in mental health problems, substance use and delinquency between African-American and White juvenile offenders: Implications for reentry services. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 52(3), pp. 311-329.
Davis, Larry E., Wallace, J. and Shanks, T. (2008) Overview on African Americans, Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Edition, NASW Press/Oxford University Press, p. 65-75.
Mizrahi, T. and Davis, L.E., Editors-in-Chief (2008) Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Edition, NASW Press/Oxford University Press.
Davis, Larry E. and Bangs, R. (2007) The Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh, Journal on Research on Social Work Practice, 17,(5), pp. 632-634.
Williams, J.H. Davis, L.E. Johnson, S. Williams, T. Saunders, J. & Nebbit, V. (2007) Substance Use and Academic Performance Among African American High School Students, Social Work Research, 31(3), 151-161.
Scott, L.D., Jr., Davis, L.E. (2006) Young, black, and male in foster care: Relationship of social contextual experiences to factors relevant to mental health service delivery, Journal of Adolescence, 29(5), 721-736.
Jonson-Reid, M., Davis, L., Saunders, J., Williams, T., & Williams, J.H. (2005) Academic Self-Efficacy Among African American Youth: Implications for School Social Work Practice, Children & Schools, 27(1), 5-14.
Books
Davis, Larry E. & Engel, Rafael, Measuring Race and Ethnicity, Springer Publishers (2011).
Davis, Larry E.: Black and Single: Finding and Choosing a Partner Who’s Right for You. Ballantine Books. Chicago, Ill (1st. edition, 1993, 2nd. edition, 1998, 3rd edition, 2003)
Davis, Larry E.: Working with African American Males: A Guide to Practice (Ed.) Sage, 1999 Newbury Park, California.
Stiffman, A., and Davis, L.E.: Ethnic Issues in Adolescent Mental Health. Sage, 1990, Newbury Park, California, (Eds.).
Davis, Larry E., and Proctor, E.K: Race, Gender and Class: Guidelines for Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups. Prentice-Hall, 1989, Englewood Cliff, New Jersey.
Editorials
Davis, L.E., “Reaching the Racial Tipping Point”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 16, 2012.
Davis, L.E., “Don’t Blame the Teachers for the Racial Achievement Gap”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 18, 2011.
Davis, L.E., “Dr. Martin Luther King would be Surprised”, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 17, 2011.
Davis, L.E., “Race in America: A three-day conference in Pittsburgh will seek solutions to our toughest racial problems”, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, June 2, 2010.
Davis, L.E., Sunday Forum: Black America is at War, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 1, 2008.
Davis, L.E. and Bangs, R., “Pittsburgh’s Shame”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 1, 2007.
Davis, L.E. “MLK: All-American”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 15, 2007.
Davis, L.E. “Where are the Potential Husbands, Role Models?”. The Miami Herald, February 12, 2004.
Davis, L.E. “A Gender Gap in Black and White”, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 29, 2003.
Davis , L. E. "The New Ingredient in the Identity of Black Biracial Children", The Chicago Tribune, December 1996.
Selected Funded Grants
He has received research funding from sources such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Search
