Janis Davis, Ph.D.

Program Director, Entry-level OTD Program, Occupational Therapy Education
Clinical Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy Education
chad5520@kumc.eduProfessional Background
Janis Davis, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy Education and currently serves as program director of the entry-level doctoral program in occupational therapy. She joined the faculty at the University of Kansas Medical Center in February 2020.
Davis teaches courses in evidence-based practice, qualitative research methods, occupational therapy scholarship, among others, for KU's occupational therapy degree programs. She holds professional licensing in the state of Kansas and is certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Prior to joining the faculty at KU Medical Center, Davis was program director for the occupational therapy assistant program at National American, University, Independence, Missouri. At Stanbridge College, Irvine, California, she was founding program director for its new master's degree program in occupational therapy. She held the positions of assistant program director at Dominican University of California in San Rafael, California, and assistant professor at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.
Academic Background
Davis earned a doctorate of philosophy in education from the University of Kansas in 2004. She received a master's degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Missouri in 1995 and a bachelor's degree occupational therapy in 1974 from the University of Kansas.
Research
Overview
Davis is currently involved in research related to listening behavior in health care, including the impact of clinical providers' listening on the therapeutic relationship and patient outcomes. She is facilitating continuing education seminars on topics related to compassionate listening in health care. She also has interests in student clinical reasoning as well as active listening skills in youth with mental illness.