Everrett Smith

About Everrett Smith

Dr. Everrett A. Smith is a tenured Associate Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati (UC). His expertise is in higher education finance, governance, and policy. This research contributes to a new understanding of topics such as college affordability, philanthropy, and administrative responses to public policy decisions.Dr. Smith recently led a co-edited volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, which focused on community colleges in urban environments, their role in serving their cities, and the challenges these unique organizations wrestle with while providing access to postsecondary education. He also recently co-authored the first known study to examine the state of Black college students in Ohio, a research report funded by the Joyce Foundation.In addition to his faculty role, he is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cincinnati Foundation, where he is the Principal Investigator of a grant-funded research collaborative that aims to better understand donor giving patterns, including how and why donors engage in philanthropy with their alma mater and community.Dr. Smith has held multiple staff and administrative roles, including leading the Educational Leadership & Policy Studies program at the University of Cincinnati, establishing and coordinating the higher education administration program at UC, serving as director of assessment for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas, working as an admissions officer at Christian Brothers University, and serving as a research assistant for the University of Rochester School of Nursing. He also taught high school Spanish in the Memphis City School system. He was a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Award recipient and completed his interdisciplinary doctoral studies in public policy at the University of Arkansas. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he earned his M.S. from the University of Memphis and a B.S. from Middle Tennessee State University.

Experience

1. Senior Research Fellow

   University of Cincinnati Foundation

   May 2024 — Present

   Lead researcher and Principal Investigator of the Inclusive Philanthropy Leadership & Research Collaborative, a competitively grant-funded research-practice partnership that aims to better understand how historically underrepresented donors engage in philanthropy with their alma mater and community.

Education

• University of Arkansas

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Public Policy

  2011 — 2014

• Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Psychology, Minors: Spanish, Leadership Studies

Skills

• Student Affairs
• Non-Profits
• Program Development
• Higher Education Policy
• Community Outreach
• Research
• Public Policy
• Public Speaking
• Research Methods
• Fundraising
• Policy Analysis
• Student Development
• Teaching
• Program Evaluation
• Nonprofits
• Spanish
• Academic Advising
• Higher Education Leadership
• Higher Education