Dr. David Elmes is a retiring professor of Psychology at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. His primary area of research is in higher-order olfactory cognition, namely how people represent and recall specific odors. These interests translated into the classroom through courses on Cognition, Learning and Retention, Experimental Design and Analysis, and History and Systems of Psychology.

David obtained a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Virginia in 1967 and quickly moved to W&L the following year, where he was an Assistant and Associate Professor, ultimately becoming a full Professor in 1975. He served as Department Head from 1990-2000. He has received grants from the Mellon Foundation and the AY Goldratt Institute.