Professor Profile: Outside the classroom, Stephen Davies rocks out

By NOELLE PAOLICELLI

As students, we often assume that professors do not have a life outside of the classroom. However, that is not the case for University of Mary Washington Professor Stephen Davies. On top of being a professor, Davies also has produced and performed on a studio album.

Davies, a computer science professor, has quite the life outside of the classroom. He created his very own rock ‘n’ roll album titled “10 of Spades.” Davies sings and plays the keyboard in each and every one of the ten songs.

Davies said spirituality was a major theme when composing his own lyrics.

“I thought of this album to be an offering to God since many of the songs are about my own spiritual life,” said Davies.

He released five hundred copies of the album and gave them out to close friends and family members.

Davies often performs in churches and enjoys singing and playing the piano at his home, entertaining his wife and three children. For Davies, music runs in his family. His oldest daughter is 15 and is a very accomplished singer and a member of the all-state choir. His 13 year-old son is in all-district for his outstanding accomplishments playing the trombone. His youngest son is 13, and while he enjoys listening to music, his interest is in sports and loves running.

Davies stated that his wife was very supportive of the album, and she was thrilled that it enabled him to express himself and share his feelings in an original way. His wife played a major role in the album’s creation and was his advocate as the studio engineer, recording and editing the album.

Davies said he derived inspiration from playing in his high school band with his brother and two friends. This is how he learned to write music, and the experience inspired him to create this album.

Davies achieved his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at Rice University. Wishing to further pursue his education, he attended the University of Colorado and received his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He joined the UMW community in 2006.

He views this great accomplishment as a milestone in his life. Davies’s unique gift and impressive success proves that professors here at UMW are dedicated, well-rounded professionals who not only instruct us in our coursework but also take time to pursue interesting hobbies and goals. They actually do have a life outside school.