Cheron H. Davis is an associate professor of Reading Education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where she leads work at the intersection of early literacy, teacher preparation, and equity-centered, interdisciplinary practice. A former elementary educator, she brings a practitioner-informed lens to her work, focusing on strengthening how teachers are prepared to deliver evidence-based reading instruction in diverse and historically underserved communities, particularly within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Her research has been published in Urban Education and the International Journal of Teacher Education and Professional Development, with additional scholarly and public-facing work appearing in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and other national platforms. She is the developer of Integrative Literacy Theory, a framework that extends the Science of Reading by integrating cognitive science and structured literacy with cultural and contextual dimensions of literacy learning to more effectively bridge research, teacher preparation, and classroom practice. Her scholarship contributes to critical conversations on literacy, equity, teacher development, and the preparation of highly skilled education professionals.
A longstanding leader within ILA, Davis has served as a program reviewer for ILA National Recognition, mentor to emerging literacy leaders, and chair of major award committees, including the William S. Gray Citation of Merit. She also serves on the executive board of the Florida Literacy Association, where she supports statewide literacy initiatives and professional learning.
She holds a PhD in Reading Education from Auburn University, an EdS in Elementary Education and certification in Educational Leadership from Troy University, and both an MEd and BS in Elementary Education from Auburn University.