Dr. Smith received a Ph.D. in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia in 1996; an M.S. in Family and Child Development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1992; and a B.A. from Erskine College in Behavior Science in 1990. She also completed the Management Development Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Smith is a tenured Professor in GSW’s Department of Psychology and Sociology. She has over 25 years of experience teaching sociology and human development at the university level. She has received multiple awards for excellence in teaching and has written numerous journal articles and books, including her latest textbook, Exploring Family Theories (4th Ed), published in 2017. Smith is an active member of the National Council of Family Relations and the Family Science Association.