American Association of Blacks in Higher Education

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AABHE Board of Directors

Dr. Smith is Associate Provost and Adjunct Professor of Education and Sociology at Rice University. He came to Rice from the University of Notre Dame, where he served as Executive Assistant to the President, concurrent Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Educational Opportunity. He was a research intern in the United States Senate.

He served as a member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission and Chair of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education. He served on the Bowie State University Board of Visitors and the Board of Directors for the Harvard Alumni Association. He served as Chair of the Black Caucus of the American Association for Higher Education. Currently, he is President of the newly established American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. In Houston, he serves as board president of the Center for Health and Faith Initiatives located in the Texas Medical Center, board member of the LifeGift Organ Donation Center and advisory board member of the Houston Area Urban League.

He has presented papers and workshops at many conferences on several topics including K-12 educational outreach, mentoring, minority faculty recruitment and diversity in higher education. He has received several awards including distinguished alumni awards from Bowie State University/NAFEO and Indiana University. In 2003, he received the AAHE Black Caucus Exemplary Public Service Award.  Most recently, he received a 2006 Advising Award at Rice University. He is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

A native of Washington, DC, he holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from Bowie State University.  He also holds a M.P.A. from Indiana University and an Ed.D. from Harvard University.

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