As a fellow of Tulane’s Mellon Graduate Program in Community-Engaged Scholarship, Davis joined the City, Culture and Community program and also worked as a graduate assistant in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The cohort taught him that as a young researcher, it’s possible to do good research on a topic that interests you — especially when it takes you down unexpected paths. Or when some of the questions you ask have no clear answer. “The knowledge that has been bestowed upon me and the interactions that I’ve had with people and the lessons that I’ve learned, I think, have prepared me for a long and fruitful career,” he said. “I have direction and purpose with what I want to do.”

Through the Mellon program, “I got a chance to work and interact with students, particularly students of color, just in passing … hearing stories and hearing narratives,” he said. “I consider that to be a privilege, and what I’ve heard are stories that I’m going to take with me.”