Howard University assistant professor Dr. Kyrone Davis was a recent recipient of a regional NAACP Award in recognition of his extraordinary service and dedication to his profession and the community.

Davis, chair of the university’s Department of Health Management, was awarded the NAACP’s “Outstanding Achievement Award” by the organization’s regional chapter in La Grange, North Carolina in late 2025. What began as an invitation to be a speaker at the chapter’s annual Freedom Fund banquet turned into Davis being surprised with the Outstanding Achievement honor. 

“I had no clue that I would be that was nominated and selected for this amazing award,” said Davis. “I’m still kind of pinching myself comprehending being recognized. It’s not about accolades. Accolades are great, but for me, it’s more about the impact that I’m making as it applies to both the community and those that I have the privilege of serving. I am privileged to be an instrument for the broader social edifice.”

A Commitment to Serving Communities in DC

At Howard, Davis teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in health economics, health operations, global leadership, and healthcare finance. He’s worked with the DC Department of Mental Health teaching the core curriculum for the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention program. He also was a consultant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he provided evidence-based recommendations for best practices in healthcare leadership and management best practices.

This recent NAACP honor reflects Davis’s commitment to student engagement and scholarly output that leads to tangible impacts beyond the classroom. He’s working with students to teach them the value of service as they partner with healthcare organizations and communities across the D.C. metro area. Davis explained that he’s encouraging students to better understand that “what they’re learning in the classroom is about affecting change.”

“What we try to do is take what we’re learning in the classroom and take it out into the community and the larger social edifice in a way that it can be more pragmatic,” he noted. “We’re not just seeking to be a part of the system that’s already in place but thinking about how we can make it better and more qualitative for more individuals.”

Health management students partner with organizations such as the DC Department of Health to work on healthcare initiatives, community engagement, and healthcare delivery to communities disproportionately impacted by certain morbidities. Students are also working on policy papers with the Department of Health with a goal of impacting legislative actions at the local and national level. 

Davis emphasized that since joining the university in 2020, he’s dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes for vulnerable and marginalized communities and educating the next generation of healthcare administrators and executives. 

“I like to view what I do as a vocation,” he said. “It very much is a calling and it’s one of those unique experiences which you get to see some of the fruits of the labor that is put in. I impress upon students, both in practice and in dialogue, that leadership is about the quality of your service to others. It’s not about you at all — you’re the instrument being used for this very important purpose.”