MassBay Community College Dean of Health Sciences, Lynne Davis, Ed.D., held previous positions in Texas prior to moving to Massachusetts. She served as a department chair for multiple programs related to health sciences. She was searching for administrative opportunities and found them at MassBay. With a diverse selection of associate degree programs and certificate programs, she thought it to be a good mix, and pursued the job. She previously worked in a variety of academic settings including private institutions, public four-year institutions, and community colleges. By far, what brings her the most joy is the community college setting because she finds diversity at the teaching level, at the administrative level, and mainly at the student level.
She believes one of the beautiful things about the academy concept that we have developed here at MassBay is that students can start generally, as sometimes people don’t really know what health sciences career interests them. They could start with a one semester program, maybe in phlebotomy and they get their feet wet and they say, ‘Oh, I think I can do this. I want to do more.” They build their confidence in that one-semester program and it fits into their life structure. Then, they may say, ‘Let me try EMT.’ EMT also is a one-semester program. Then from there, they may say, ‘I did really well there. I can go into paramedicine.’ They start advancing up that pathway. The academy allows for stair stepping and for people to gain some confidence and do well, especially if they’re returning to school after being out for a while. From there, they branch out and before they know it, they've completed a one-year program or a two-year program. They’ve taken a national exam, they’ve gone on, and they are now working in a profession.
When she thinks about how about her administrator role at MassBay has changed her, she understands how it’s important for her to bring her best self to the job every day. Dean Davis feels that her job is really more of a career. She has embraced that she’s here to change people’s lives for the better. She doesn’t just come to work to move paperwork around, but knows that what she does is actually help people take those first steps so they can move into their future.