Larry Davis Bio

October 14, 2020

Larry J. Davis, OD, FAAO

Larry J. Davis is Dean of the College of Optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Under his leadership the faculty revised faculty governance, the college strategic plan, curriculum and measures for program outcomes.

He helped advance several initiatives to improve the college facilities including a phased plan to co-locate the Colleges of Nursing and Optometry. The UMSL Patient Care Center, Phase-I of that plan, opened in September, 2016. The 48,000 square feet of space will provide opportunities to expand health care services to the North County area through community partnerships. College endowment funds doubled during the period between July 2000 and July 2006 and now total more than $1 million. More recently, a major gifts initiative was begun in support of the Patient Care Center. Gifts and pledges for that campaign now total more than $850,000.

He is a graduate of Indiana University (BSVS and OD) and completed residency training at the University of Missouri Saint Louis. He later joined the faculty there following five years of service on the faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine where he also served as Director of the Contact Lens Service.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Diplomate of the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies. He has served on the Scientific Program Committee of the Academy. He has served on the Board of Directors and President of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and the Heart of America Contact Lens Society. He also served as President of the ASCO and the Saint Louis Optometric Society (SLOS). He has been recognized as Outstanding Optometric Educator of the Year by students at UMSL and Optometrist of the Year and Distinguished Optometrist by SLOS.

Dr. Davis’s area of academic specialization is cornea, contact lenses and anterior segment ocular disease with emphasis in refractive management of the diseased and/or injured eye. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 scientific papers, book chapters and abstracts.