By: Bianca Cain

While she might be best known for her recently released The Murder Book, there are other things that make Dr. Kimberly Davies, chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work, an interesting person.

Dr. Davies has been teaching sociology and criminal justice since her arrival at Augusta State University in 1996. Before that she taught briefly while in graduate school at Ohio State University.

While attending Ohio State, Dr. Davies was a member of a women’s ice hockey team, which allowed her the opportunity to travel throughout North America. “I’m one of the few faculty members at Augusta State who has played goalie on an ice hockey team,” says Dr. Davies. “I doubt there are many of us who’ve played ice hockey.”

The former ice hockey player is currently teaching a class using The Murder Book as its textbook. The book came about after teaching the Sociology of Murder four years ago, when she noticed the need for a better book. The sociologist says that she has always been interested in homicide and women’s issues.

“I see the world as a feminist sociologist or as a feminist criminologist. Probably the first thing that comes to mind is to say that I’m a sociologist. To me, being a feminist is a big part of that, but that’s not a scary, yucky, horrible word to me; I hope other people don’t see it that way,” she says.

Dr. Davies says she is happy in her role at Augusta State. “I love what I do,” she says with a smile. “I think I’m really lucky to have this job. It’s great to think for a living and have conversations for a living. I’m always up on the days that I teach more than the days that I have to push papers around.”

Dr. Davies is a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Alliance for Women in Community Corrections, the American Society of Criminology, and the American Sociological Association, and she has researched the experience of battered women seeking help from the criminal justice system. She was a recipient of the university’s Outstanding Faculty Award in 2001. An Ohio native, she attended the Ohio State University, where she earned undergraduate degrees in sociology and women’s studies and master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology.

Name: Kim Davies

Position: Chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work

How long at ASU: 12 years

What she likes about ASU: “I like that we have older and younger students here,” says Dr. Davies. “I like that we have a racial mix. I think it makes it easier to teach sociology.”

Hobbies: She loves antiquing and looking for fun items to decorate with. Her favorite item is a huge lard can with a pig on it. “I just think it’s kind of cute and fun. I’m also a vegetarian so having this is kind of fun to me.”

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