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For Ph.D. Graduate, Stage Walk to Bring Personal Satisfaction β€” and Possibly Some Family Respite

Posted on December 10, 2018
Alice Jackson

Clay Davidson, a retired certified public accountant who earned a master's degree from South in 2008, returned to get his Ph.D. β€œI’m certainly a good bit older than most of the students, but the intelligence and the drive of all the people I met and worked with was impressive,” he said. data-lightbox='featured'
Clay Davidson, a retired certified public accountant who earned a master's degree from South in 2008, returned to get his Ph.D. β€œI’m certainly a good bit older than most of the students, but the intelligence and the drive of all the people I met and worked with was impressive,” he said.

Clay Davidson grew weary of three brothers – all physicists – teasing him that they were smarter because each had a Ph.D., so the 60-year-old Mobile businessman spent four years earning his own doctorate from the University of South ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯’s School of ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯.

The certified public accountant received his master’s degree in computing from South in 2008 around the time he retired to focus on his personal investments.

β€œBack in the 80s and 90s when I worked as a CPA with my own firm, I started writing software. In those days, it was new, and everybody was doing it – accountants, lawyers and all kinds of people. I was even involved in TurboTax when it was developed,” Davidson said. β€œIt was something I really enjoyed doing.”

He admits the doctoral work was β€œchallenging, but doable,” adding that after completing his dissertation on software security for industrial systems, he has newfound respect for his teasing brothers.

β€œI’m certainly a good bit older than most of the students, but the intelligence and the drive of all the people I met and worked with was impressive,” Davidson added. β€œAnd, the work that South puts into getting people into the graduate programs is phenomenal.”

He praised his dissertation chair, Dr. Todd Andel, professor of computer science, calling him β€œa great guy who I learned a lot from and who I have a lot of respect for.” He also appreciates the encouragement of Dr. Alec Yasinsac, dean of the School of ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯.

One of 11 children whose Depression-era father stressed the need for higher ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯, Davidson admits he’s enjoying personal satisfaction over his achievement. It has brought the surprise of potential teaching positions. And, it’s also impressed his 15-year-old son, Clayton, and his 9-year-old daughter, Tori. 

β€œI also did it because I wanted to be a good influence on them, and now there’s a possibility that I may get a teaching position at a university because I have the doctorate. They think it would be the coolest thing in the world for dad to be a professor,” Davidson said. β€œOf course, my wife, Veronica, enjoyed that we stayed in one location while I was studying, but now we’ll have to see what happens with the possibility of a position.”

And, those brothers who teased Davidson about his lack of a doctorate have something different to say now.

β€œMy brothers have told me they are proud of me and glad I did the work,” Davidson said. β€œI look forward to receiving my doctorate while they sit in the audience and watch.”

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