From English to Dance: Dr. Emma Davis's Nontraditional Grad School Journey

In a recent episode of Victors in Grad School, we sit down with Dr. Emma Davis, an accomplished academic who traversed an unconventional path in higher education. With an undergraduate degree in English and journalism, a master's in liberal studies, and a PhD in dance, Dr. Davis embodies the transformative journey of higher education. This blog post expands on her insightful conversation, charting her unique pathway and offering valuable advice for aspiring graduate students.

Following the Academic Passion

From Undergrad to Master's Degree

Dr. Emma Davis first discovered her passion for higher education during her undergraduate years at the University of Michigan Flint, where she majored in English and journalism while minoring in dance. Realizing that she wanted to work in higher education, she observed her faculty members’ academic journeys, which often included a master's degree in fine arts (MFA).

Initially aspiring for an MFA herself, Dr. Davis encountered setbacks during the application process. However, her mentor, Dr. Loren Friesen, guided her toward the Master of Liberal Studies with a concentration in theater culture at the University of Michigan Flint. This program provided her with a foundation in American culture, critical thinking, and an appreciation for cross-disciplinary academic dialogues.

The Leap to a Doctorate

After completing her master's degree, Dr. Davis faced another pivotal decision – choosing a PhD program. Despite her broad academic background, she opted for a doctorate in dance, recognizing that a specialized degree would align more closely with her goals in higher education. Her thorough research revealed only a handful of PhD programs in dance across the United States, eventually leading her to Texas Women's University’s low-residency program, allowing her the flexibility to continue teaching while pursuing her doctorate.

Navigating Unconventional Paths

Adapting During COVID-19

Dr. Davis began her PhD in June 2020, amidst the global pandemic. The low-residency program she enrolled in typically required a mix of in-person and online learning. However, the pandemic pushed her cohort to adapt to fully online coursework. Weekly virtual classes supplemented their independent research, fostering a strong sense of community and support that might not have existed in a traditional setting.

Embracing Nontraditional Approaches

Reflecting on the shifts and adaptations, Dr. Davis emphasized the value of nontraditional educational paths. Her experiences highlight that flexibility and resilience are key to thriving in graduate school, especially for those juggling multiple roles and responsibilities

Insights and Practical Advice for Aspiring Graduate Students

Preparation and Self-Discovery

Transitions between undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs can be challenging. Dr. Davis advises students to see each degree as a stepping stone, allowing life and academic experiences to shape their educational journey. She stresses the importance of taking time to reflect and recover between programs, enabling students to assimilate and grow from each step.

Integration of Diverse Experiences

Dr. Davis leverages her multifaceted academic background in her current role as an instructor, blending dance, literature, research, and cultural analysis. Her unique educational path allows her to enrich her teaching with a broad perspective, benefiting her students and the academic community.

Advice for Prospective Grad Students

For students considering graduate education, Dr. Davis recommends a deeply personal approach. Listen to your heart, conduct thorough research, and visualize your path. Understand the commitment involved, including potential financial and mental health challenges. Above all, knowing why you are pursuing a graduate degree can provide the motivation and clarity needed to succeed.

Dr. Emma Davis’ journey epitomizes the essence of "Victors in Grad School." Her story not only showcases the transformative power of graduate education but also serves as a guide for students navigating their own academic paths. By embracing flexibility, conducting thorough research, and following one’s passion, prospective graduate students can set themselves on a successful and fulfilling academic journey. If you're contemplating your future in graduate education, reflect on Dr. Davis' insights and prepare to embark on your own path to success.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]:
Welcome to the victors in grad school, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]:
Welcome back to Victor's in Grad School. I'm your host, doctor Christopher Lewis, director of graduate programs at the University of Michigan, Flint. Really excited to have you back again this week. As always every week, I love being able to sit down, talk to you, work with you as you are contemplating, working on wherever you are in this journey of getting in, getting through, getting done with grad school. Every week, we talk about things that you can do to be able to find success in that graduate school journey. And you might be at the very beginning just starting to think about grad school, might be thinking about maybe this is the time, maybe this is the right opportunity, and you're ready to put in that application. You might have already put that application in and you're waiting on the offer, the acceptance, or you got accepted, now you're waiting to start or you're in the program itself. And looking at that light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far off it is, wherever you are, it is a journey.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:06]:
And there are things that you can learn at the beginning and wherever you are in this journey to be able to help you to be successful. And that's why every week, I love being able to have an opportunity to talk with you, to share with you different resources, people, and share their journeys with you as well. That's what this show is all about. It's all about helping you find success. And today we got another great guest with us today. Doctor Emma Davis is with us today. And doctor Davis has a undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan Flint, but she also has a master's degree from the University of Michigan Flint, but then she pivoted and went and got a PhD in dance. And it's a journey that we're gonna be talking about because it is truly a journey for her, different pathways, some probably twists and turns along the way that we will talk about as well.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:54]:
And I'm really excited to have her share this journey with you and have her here today. Emma, thanks so much for being here today.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:01:59]:
Thank you for having me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:00]:
It's my pleasure having you here today. As I said, you did your undergraduate work at the University of Michigan Flint. And at some point in that journey, you got that bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism, and you also got a dance minor. You're busy, you had, and then you decided and you had an opportunity to, after a little bit of time, you've made a decision to go and get your master's degree and get your master's degree in liberal studies with a concentration in theater culture. Also here at the University of Michigan Flint. Every person finds the the timing and figures that out for themselves about why it's the right time. Bring me back to that point. What made you decide at that point that after being out of your bachelor's degree that you were ready to make that jump into getting your master's degree?

Dr. Emma Davis [00:02:52]:
When I was in undergrad, that was when I realized that I wanted to be working in higher education. So I looked at my faculty members and saw the pathways that they took in the field of dance. That was a master's of fine arts. And I had a lot of people encouraging me to apply to an MFA, which is a terminal degree in the arts, which means that's the last degree that you need to get. And so a lot of people were actually encouraging me to apply to Ann Arbor and I did and I made it through the finals and I did not get in. So that was sad. That was sort of actually my first attempt at grad school and it was not successful. And so I was sort of lost and a mentor, Doctor.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:03:38]:
Loren Friesen, who used to be the chair of the theater department. He was also the program coordinator for the theater culture part of the master's of arts and liberal studies at U of M Flint, and he was familiar with my work as an English major. I also wrote for the Michigan Times on campus. I worked at the writing center as a peer tutor. I crossed over into the theater side a lot, taking some theater classes. And, yeah, Doctor. Friesen was like, hey, check out this master's in liberal studies program because I think you should actually be going on to a PhD because of your background in writing. And I was like, oh, okay.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:04:23]:
And I was really eager to go to continue my education. It was like, I need to be doing something. I want to be moving forward. So yeah, I did the liberal studies program and I really enjoyed it. It was super refreshing conversation with people that wanted to be there and have critical thinking skills and read about things and talk about them in our society. And so I got this really great foundation in American culture from that. And, so I suppose you could say the gap was because I was finding my way and that's where it led me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:57]:
It led you to that master's degree program. You got through that master's degree program. And then after finishing that you chose to go for a doctorate in dance. Again, different direction. You had the minor in undergrad of dance, and you were doing some teaching in dance. So there is that connection there, but your master's was within theater culture. So again, a little bit different. So talk to me about first, let's talk about what made you decide a doctorate in dance versus, say, a doctorate in theater or some other direction?

Dr. Emma Davis [00:05:39]:
I mean, yeah, because I actually did consider other types of PhDs. I have, you know, sort of a diverse, broad background in arts humanities. And so, yeah, I thought what happens if I do a PhD in theater, performance studies was another route to think about. The other faculty were sort of sharing with me. But dance has always been my thing. I mean, the reason I got an English degree well, of course, I like writing and reading, but I I thought it was the smarter thing to do than getting a degree in dance which is funny to get an English degree too but that's what I love, following my passion. And so I just did what I do. And I knew I wanted to work in higher ed, and so I just sort of thought about it strategically.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:06:20]:
Yeah. I could. There are a whole lot of schools that have PhDs in theater. There's a number of schools that have PhDs in performance studies, but I thought, no, now is the time to do the focused part. Right? So if I'm trying to get a job teaching within a dance department, or being a direct being a director of a dance program is my ultimate goal. So I need the thing that says dance in it now at this point. And I just I researched PhD in dance programs. There's only about 4 or 5 in the United States.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:06:52]:
One of those is low residency, and so that's where I ended up.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:56]:
I was just gonna ask you that question because you chose to go to Texas Women's University, and it's a long ways away from Flint. So I didn't know what went through your mind as you were contemplating those 4 or 5 programs that offered that PhD in dance.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:07:12]:
Right. So I had the choice between going away or doing the low residency and the I see it as having more flexibility within your life to do low residency. But I wasn't opposed to going away because, honestly, I didn't really go away for undergrad or masters because I'm a native Michigander. And I did apply to schools where you would have to live there. I had an interview at Ohio State University, but low residency, it just worked for my lifestyle better. The other part of it was that I was already lecturing, teaching at U of M Flint. I actually applied before the pandemic. Right? And so we as how long have I been teaching then? Maybe 7 or 8 years, and I'm one of 2 dance faculty on campus.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:08:00]:
So I'm a part of building this program, right, and it's my income. And it's still the thing I wanna be doing, teaching in higher ed. I wanted to keep my life, but also continue my education. So that led me to low residency. And, I mean, we can talk about what happened when COVID hit, but still low residency.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:08:20]:
Let's definitely talk about that because you definitely were going through the program during the pandemic. So talk to me about that transition for yourself and what that did for you or made you have to do as you had to pivot yourself in regards to having to learn in a different way?

Dr. Emma Davis [00:08:41]:
I received my acceptance letter December 2019, and the way that the low residency program is, it begins in summer semester. So I was accepted in December, and then I started June 2020. So it was just a couple months after everything closed. So for people that are interested in low residency programs, the way that it's still doing this now, but I was just of course in that unique situation, but the way it's set up is you're on campus for a month in the summer. In my program, it's 3 summers. And then in the fall, you go to campus for a 1 week intensive. And then in the winter, which they actually call spring because it's in Texas, it's also another 1 week. So it's a 1 week, a month, and then a 1 week.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:09:28]:
And what happens in between that is independent work. You're working on your research, you're working on the coursework, you're submitting your assignments online, and that's all cool. But what happened with my cohort was we couldn't meet in person. People didn't wanna fly across the country. We had somebody in Hawaii in our cohort too, so it was a lot for them to be traveling during COVID. So we kind of did the traditional online class thing where we met once a week and had an hour conversation and still did all of our work. But as far as adjusting, So we were So we were sort of supporting each other still through the coursework and the readings, which I'm not actually sure if that would be there if we had done the traditional way. So that's, like, my theme is everything nontraditional has been working for me.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:10:27]:
So if you feel like you're a nontraditional person, just know that it can work.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:10:31]:
So let's talk about transitions because every time you go to a different type of degree, there are transitions. And the way that you're taught as a undergraduate student is different than the way that you're taught as a master's student, is different than the way that you're gonna be taught as a PhD student, and you have to adjust at each phase to be able to learn in a little bit different way. We talked about the fact that you had to learn in a little bit different way also when you're in the middle of a pandemic. But talk to me about what you had to do first in that master's grade, then in the PhD to be able to set yourself up in each of those different opportunities that you had to set yourself up for success? And what did you have to do to be able to maintain that success throughout each of those journeys toward the end point, the end of the degrees.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:11:19]:
Yeah. So the transition between degrees or perhaps some of that's happening while you're working on the degree as well. For me, I saw each degree as a stepping stone. And so maybe except for my original undergrad. No, I, I take that back. It's all stepping stones, right? You're working towards something. And at that time, I thought I was working towards being a journalist. And then I had some interviews and I was like, you know what? I'm not a 9 to 5 job kind of person.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:11:48]:
Like, I'm an artist. I'm an educator. I'm not sitting at a desk 9 to 5. Not that that's what journalists do all day. So I think what I'm trying to say is that I had a little bit of life experience in between each degree. I know there's some people that you just go back to back, you're done with your undergrad and, oh, now you're going to start your master's the next year. And then, oh, now you're doing your doctorate or your PhD. That might work for some fields, maybe more STEM fields or traditional career oriented fields going into nursing or something.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:12:22]:
But I don't know. I'm not in those fields, so I can't say totally. But I think that taking time just for a moment to sort of recover from, you know, to sort of close out one experience and then live life with that experience and let that evolve into the next thing that you're seeking and let your degree help you, that journey.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:12:47]:
You got that master's degree, you moved on to the PhD. Now you've been out for a little bit of time and you're still teaching. As you look back at the different steps that you took from undergrad to masters, to PhD, and you look at what you're doing today and the work that you're doing today, how do you feel that you're pulling from all of that different education to inform the work that you're doing as an instructor now?

Dr. Emma Davis [00:13:13]:
I suppose at this point, I see it all as a process of emergence. Each part contributes to the whole experience. It's almost like a tripod in a sense, my undergrad experience, my master's degree, my PhD experience, and wouldn't be where I am without each of those. There's a lot going on there, right? How do we bring dance, English, research, writing, analysis, culture all together? Honestly, it makes a lot of sense to me. I'm a practicing artist. I still perform. I perform with Detroit Dance Collective as a company member. I perform with Tunde Olani Ram as a backup dancer.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:13:56]:
And so honestly, it's about experience is really important, and it's taking each of those experiences into what you're doing. I noticed when I got to my PhD program, there's a lot of dancers and a lot of them have MFAs. And an MFA is more of a studio based degree. You're creating creative work in the studio. Your thesis is typically performance of some sort. And you do some research and there's a whole artistic process that you learn in an MFA program. But there wasn't a lot of writing and there wasn't a lot of reading. And I saw a lot of my peers and my cohort struggle with the reading and writing that time because it really trained me how to read and how to write and how to analyze things.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:14:51]:
And then I was really appreciative that I had my experience in the liberal studies program because I had such a foundation in the idea of culture. And I also was allowed to sort of explore a couple of things that interested me. And that's when I really discovered feminism, right, in grad school. And so that really informs a lot of my research as well. So where am I at today? My dissertation is about the experience of dance and how it builds community for social change. So I really think about how dance is a vehicle to bring people together and how that coming together is its own process of emergence and how those moving together intentionally towards a purpose can help us change our thinking, change our behavior, change the way that we move in the world as a society. So that's where it's led me. And those are now the ideas that I take forward into my teaching.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:15:53]:
Now, as you look back at the experiences that you had in your own graduate school experiences and you think about other students, whether they be students going into the arts or some other area, what tips would you have for those individuals that are considering graduate education that would help them find success sooner?

Dr. Emma Davis [00:16:12]:
I mean, it's deeply personal, I think, first of all, because this is something that stays with you forever if you wanted to, but you always have your degree. And so, I mean, my non practical but practical advice is listen to your heart, follow your heart, do what seems right in the moment, sort of an intuition thing, but also do your research. Think about it, sit with it, research schools, visualize what you might be doing there. Talk to people. Think about why you're doing it. It's a commitment. A lot of people, I mean, honestly, a lot of people, right, have you could go into debt. You could have a mental health crisis.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:16:51]:
It's it can be stressful. It can be very rewarding, but also be prepared and know why you're doing it.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:16:57]:
Well, Emma, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for sharing your journey today and sharing the experiences that you had in the different graduate degrees that you were able to receive yourself, and I truly wish you all the best.

Dr. Emma Davis [00:17:10]:
Thank you so much for your interest. It's been a pleasure talking to you today.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:17:14]:
The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of masters and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].