Smith Joins McBee Institute

The Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Michael Smith as assistant professor of higher education beginning July 1, 2024. He joins the McBee Institute from the University of California, Merced where he has been a postdoctoral fellow in the Higher Education, Race & the Economy Lab since 2021.

McBee IHE Interim Director Jim Hearn says, “Our faculty members are pleased to have recruited someone with such outstanding professional talents, drive, and promise to join their ranks.”

Dr. Smith’s original body of research focuses on college access and stratification in higher education, and he explores novel lines of inquiry with policy implications, such as the understudied influence of siblings on college access.

With a background in mathematics, Dr. Smith is a talented quantitative researcher who conveys complex data and sophisticated analyses in readily understandable ways. His research has received support from the Institute of Education Sciences through the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. Smith is also a committed educator with a passion for student success and the science of learning. With teaching experience at four institutions of higher education, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Berea College, he applies Universal Design for Learning into his instructional sessions.

"It is a privilege to enter a community that has a high regard for multidisciplinary inquiry, respects excellent teaching, and makes a true dent in higher education problems of today,” said Dr. Smith. He continued, “I am excited to evolve as a scholar and person by working with the Institute's staff, faculty, and students."

Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also holds a B.A. from Macalester College, where he studied Applied Mathematics and Statistics as well as Educational Studies.

Learn more about his work at: https://christianmichaelsmith.com/.