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.”

The Career Center may be off the beaten track, but for students who find their way to Boykin Wright Hall, they get the opportunity to meet one of the friendliest staff members at Augusta State University.

For 13 years, Patricia Hyatt has devoted her time to greeting students as they enter the Career Center. Ms. Hyatt says the best part about working there is being able to help students make important decisions regarding their future.

“I love the fact that we are able to help students with a problem that to them seems like a mountain, and before they leave our office, that problem’s been turned into an ant-hill,” she says.

Throughout the year, the Career Center holds several events to help students find jobs in their fields. Ms. Hyatt says she hopes students take advantage of these opportunities because the events are great networking tools. “You never fully know what an employer is looking for, and you might have that special quality an employer wants,” Ms. Hyatt explains.

Looking back, Ms. Hyatt says she always knew she wanted to work with people. After spending a number of years teaching and coaching basketball, she decided to try something different. That decision led her to ASU.

Ms. Hyatt, a grandmother and self-proclaimed yard sale fanatic, enjoys her job at the Career Center so much she says, “I will be here until I can no longer climb the stairs.”

Name: Patricia Hyatt

Position: Office Manager, Career Center

Time at ASU: 13 years

Little known fact: Ms. Hyatt and her husband met at a funeral home.

Nestled comfortably behind her desk in her second floor office in Bellevue Hall is Tiffani Jones, a devoted mother of three, a loving wife, and the administrative assistant to the associate vice president for academic affairs. It is a huge title and with it comes a long list of responsibilities.


Some of those responsibilities include assisting in searches for new faculty members, managing the expenses that occur when taking in new faculty, maintaining files for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and dealing with student issues, such as admission appeals.

Ms. Jones began her career at Augusta State as a student in 1990. “I have not finished my degree, but it is a work in progress,” she says. She has a year and a half left to complete her degree in political science.

She has been working on campus for 11 years, spending the first year in the Department of Languages, Literature, and Communications and the past 10 years in Academic Affairs. She says that she loves the enthusiasm and the diverse backgrounds that are found within the ASU community.

“I enjoy seeing the progress the university has made since I was a student. I also enjoy helping the students,” says Ms. Jones.

At home, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 15 years and playing with her son, Jalen, 12, and two daughters, Janeen, 11, and Jaida, 3. They love to challenge each other to a game of basketball on the weekends.

“We really like to play a game called ‘hotshot’ (a basketball drill game) on the weekends,” she says.

Ms. Jones is active in her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, serving as the troop’s photographer and designated driver. When cookie sales begin, a big box of Girl Scout cookies is usually sitting in the corner of her office.

“As soon as I walk in the building with the box of cookies, everyone asks, ‘Oh, are those my cookies?’” laughs Ms. Jones.

Name: Tiffany Jones

Position: Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

How long at ASU: 11 years

Pets: 10 freshwater fish, including kissing fish, parrotfish, and catfish, as well as two boxers, Simba, which she also calls “Old Man,” and Tiger

Little known fact: “I began collecting the Barbie dolls about 10 years ago when my oldest daughter was born. I now have 11 dolls; I bought one every year for my daughter’s birthday.”

In the summer of 1998, Clayton Shotwell, associate professor of music, was transformed into Boubacan Keita. The name Boubacan means explorer and Keita refers to the king who solidified the Mali Empire by bringing everyone together to form one community. And explorer is one word that accurately describes Dr. Shotwell, for he has travelled all over the world and is now using world music to bring students a unique understanding of the world and how we live in it.

Dr. Shotwell’s passion in ethnomusicology, the study of how music functions in all cultures, is reflected in his playing of hand-made drums. On one of his expeditions to the African country of Mali, Dr. Shotwell had hand-crafted drums made, which he now incorporates into his classes. He also takes the drums to local schools and teaches the children the art of African drumming. With these drums, he teaches American students a new way of communicating.

When Dr. Shotwell brings his drums to class, he gives little instruction. “For me, it’s not about teaching African culture, it’s about expressing yourself and letting yourself go—mind and body,” he says.

He has his students form a circle; he explains the three main rhythms or patterns; and then, he lets them play. He emphasizes that there is no wrong way to play these drums. He encourages students to relax and enjoy the moment. It is all about expressing oneself, moving the body and being in the moment.

In the past, he has used the drums for music therapy at Walton Rehabilitation as well as helped form a drumming community at Fort Gordon.

Dr. Shotwell’s teaching is shaped by his education and, more importantly, by his life experiences. “The problems in this world are problems of consciousness. You have to change the people before you can change the problem,” he says.

Dr. Shotwell received his bachelor’s degree in music from Hastings College and master and doctoral degrees from the University of Minnesota.

Name: Clayton M. Shotwell

Position: Associate Professor of Music and World Humanities

Time at ASU: 14 years

Family: wife, Cindy, is a retired nurse from Walton Rehabilitation; he has two sons as well as two dogs

Little known facts: An environmentalist, he is setting his home up to run on solar power. He says he is proud to be a product of the 60’s Berkeley, Calif., culture. And he starts most of his stories with “To make a short story long…”

Hobbies: He is developing his gardening skills and is passionate about growing as much of his own food as possible. He also enjoys making new things out of old materials.