As director of the A&M-Commerce Planetarium and Observatory, my job is out of this world!

Cheri Davis, Ed.D.
Professional Track Faculty and Planetarium Director

  • Alum
  • Staff
Physics and Astronomy | Planetarium

As director of the A&M-Commerce Planetarium and Observatory, Cheri Davis, Ed.D., has a job that is out of this world! Davis also enjoys teaching pre-service science classes, astronomy classes and signature courses.

A Conversation with Dr. Davis

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

A&M-Commerce is a great university! We have a wide variety of faculty from all over the United States and the world.

Tell us about a project you are currently working on or recently completed.

While the campus was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we took advantage of the time to make much-needed upgrades to the Planetarium. The facility has recently undergone a full system upgrade; now running a Digistar7 system by Evans & Sutherland. This allows the viewer to enjoy amazing sights and sounds while visiting the facility. We were also able to install new carpet and seats; the first change since the building opened in 2006. We now have a seating capacity of 81.

Educational Background

  • Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2013
  • M.S., Broadfield Science, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2005
  • B.S., Interdisciplinary Studies, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2004

Grants

  • $570,782, NSF Grant PASS: Physics and Astronomy Scholarships for Success, May 1, 2016-April 30, 2016
  • $518,000, TAMU-C Planetarium Renovation/upgrade planetarium system to Evans & Sutherland's Digistar 5, DLP projector, 2013
  • $28,888, National Space Grant Foundation, Aerospace Educational Services Project-AESP Grant-Explorations of the Solar System, 2010

Awards and Honors

  • Chancellor's Academy of Teacher Education, The Texas A&M University System
  • President's Meritorious Service Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce
  • NASA Texas Space Grant Fellowship

Professional Organizations

  • NASA Texas Space Grant Consortium Representative
  • Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA)
  • American Astronomical Society (AAS)
  • American Physical Society (APS)
  • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
  • Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
  • Digistar Users Group (DUG)
  • International Planetarium Society (IPS)
  • National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
  • Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT)
  • Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC)

Selected Publications

  • Davis, Margaret Cheri. Mathematics and Science Education Attrition, Retention, and Migration: A Study of Three Urban School Districts in the State of Texas, Order No. 3595285 Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2013 Ann Arbor ProQuest. 15 Oct. 2014.
  • Montgomery, K.A., Davis, C., Renshaw, T., & Rolen, J., Photometric Study of 5 Asteroids at A&M-Commerce Observatory, Minor Planet Bulletin, 2013.

Important Links

Around Texas with Chancellor John Sharp

  • Watch season 2, episode 8 featuring the Planetarium at A&M-Commerce. Be sure to like and subscribe!

Lunar Explorations

Exploration of the Solar System

AESP

TSGC

Related News

Alumna’s Estate Gifts $975,000 to A&M-Commerce Planetarium and Chemistry Program

The late Georgia Mae Waters Dorrough gifted $975,000, through her estate, to the College of Science and Engineering at A&M-Commerce. The Georgia M. Dorrough Planetarium Endowment, the Georgia M. Dorrough Planetarium Maintenance Endowment, and the Georgia M. Dorrough Endowed Chair in Chemistry will significantly impact the university’s Department of Chemistry and Planetarium. According to Dr. […]

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