Council Member Davies
Appointed As SUNY Dean
ONEONTA – Common Council member Dr. Mark R. Davies, Second Ward, has been appointed Dean of the School of Education, Human Ecology and Sports Studies at SUNY Oneonta.
A former Hartwick College professor of education, Davies will oversee all academic programs in dietetics, elementary and adolescence education, exercise science, family and consumer sciences, fashion and textiles, food service and restaurant administration, human development and family studies, human ecology and sport management. He begins his appointment on July 1.
In his 18-year tenure at Hartwick,, he served as chair for the education department and facilitated two successful accreditation reviews and the creation of a special education certification. He designed a new major at Hartwick – Environment, Sustainability and Society – and served as the program’s coordinator. He also co-wrote a grant that secured over $400,000 to support a composting program for Otsego County and was invited to be a guest speaker at the Otsego County Energy Summit last year.
Davies’ grant work extends to his interests in education. He serves as the outside evaluator on a New York State-funded grant for CROP after school programs with ONC BOCES and Roxbury and Morris Central schools that serve over 1,000 rural students. He has directed a number of research grants with students that addressed sustainable farming in New York State, diversity programming, college composting, and greenhouse gas inventory.
Davies’ service to his community is extensive. He is a member of New York Congressman Delgado’s Agricultural Advisory Council and co-chair of the environment committee of the Otsego County Energy Comprehensive Plan task force. In addition, Davies serves on the board of directors for the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) in Otsego County.
Davies has a doctorate in education (social and philosophical foundation of education) and a master’s degree in social studies education from Rutgers University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Stockton University. He is a reviewer for Educational Studies, the journal of the American Educational Studies Association, and of environmental and sustainability manuscripts for Oxford University Press. He is currently writing a book, “Natural Wisdom: Reshaping and Strengthening Our Regard for Nature.”