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
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
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
- Instructional Resources
- Apollo Press Kit and Reports
- Moon Multimedia
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Exploration of the Solar System
AESP
- Aerospace Education Services Project
- NASA Education Sandbox 2008
TSGC
Related News
Three A&M-Commerce Students Selected for Prestigious Texas Space Grant Consortium Funding
The Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC), which is funded through a NASA training grant, has selected three Texas A&M University-Commerce students—Rebecca Preston, Amber Stinson and Judah Byars—to receive grant funding for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. TSGC includes 65 universities, industrial organizations, non-profits and government agencies in Texas. Through education and research, the […]
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. […]