Ashlyn Davis studied nineteenth century American art at the School of Art, graduating in 2020. Davis also completed her undergraduate work at the University of Georgia. In 2018, she graduated from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in art history. Through her career as a graduate student at the Dodd, Davis has had the opportunity to work at the Georgia Museum of Art assisting with curatorial projects. Davis curated an exhibition at the GMOA, Before the War: Photographs of Syria, which hinged upon photographs by architectural photographer Peter Aaron. These photographs now serve as documentary evidence of the effects of civil war on Syria’s ancient, visual history. After graduation, Davis hopes to continue museum work in curatorial roles. In her free time, Davis enjoys watching The Office and playing with her dog, Leo.

Davis's thesis research involves images of John Brown, such as Thomas Satterwhite Noble's painting, John Brown's Blessing. Through examining several images of John Brown, with dates spanning approximately 30 years, Davis aims to connect these images not only to each other, but larger traditions in the history of art through visual motifs found in works of art by artists such as Rembrandt.