ARTICLES CONCERNING
DONNA DAVIS, PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
(May 4, 2009) Dear Donna, By now many USMNEWS.net readers have learned that you (CoB decision sciences professor Donna
Davis) have been named chairperson of the CoB's new department of business economics and decision sciences (BEDS).
Regardless of how the selection of you occurred, most CoBers outside of ECO are pulling for you to make a positive change in the
BEDS. It is probably a safe bet to also state that many, if not most, long-time readers of USMNEWS.net are hoping that you will
be able to corral the often wayward economists in a way that allows the rest of the CoB to become more productive. New CoB
dean Lance Nail certainly needs ECO's better angels to prevail.
(May 11, 2009) GH Chatter By many GH chatter accounts, the recent report speculating that the selection of Donna Davis to chair
the new BEDS may have involved a circumvention of faculty governance was spot on . . . well, at least partially so. Word around
JAG is that ECO's Akbar Marvasti wanted to chair the new BEDS as well, but he was unable to overcome a particularly "sensitive
issue" that some of the powers-that-be deemed would put USM at too much risk, at least in terms of a Marvasti-chaired BEDS.
Thus, according to new accounts at least, Davis easily ascended to her new position atop BEDS. Very interesting.
(May 27, 2009) Davis and George Elected to Faculty Senate According to the May-09 Faculty Senate meeting minutes, the CoB's
Donna Davis and Babu George have been elected to the USM Faculty Senate. Of course, when her name was placed on the
ballot, Davis, a professor of decision sciences, was a rank-and-file faculty member. Now she is the new chair of the new
department of business economics and decision sciences (BEDS). Surely, then, her election victory will have to be voided and her
seat vacated.
(September 30, 2009) breaking news . . . Donna Davis to Retire After 2009-10 HATTIESBURG – In yet another surprise from the
CoB’s decision sciences quarter, current DS professor (and BEDS chair) Donna Davis is set to retire after the 2009-10 academic
year, which was her first as chair of the BEDS (business economics and decision sciences). According to reports, Davis has
submitted her intention papers and will be exiting the CoB on 30-June-2010.
(September 30, 2009) The Davis Departure: What does it mean for the CoB? When Donna Davis retires on June 30th, even if she
has a phased retirement deal in place, it will alter her participation in the CoB. This is major news because she has been a force
in the Lance Nail administration. Except for a few weeks when she was at odds with the dean’s office over the infamous Sonia
Gaines-Littles email to the faculty and staff, Donna has been a constant planner, worker, supporter, and cheerleader for the Nail
team.
(September 30, 2009) Donna Davis Actually RetiringThe news that Donna Davis has actually turned in her retirement letter is
sweeping the CoB and around Southern Miss. Most of the amazement is that she has truly done it. She has been saying for at
least five years that she was retiring in “two more years.”