Jessi Smith joins UT from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she served as Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Development. She also recently completed a detail at the National Science Foundation as a program director in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate and previously served for eight years as Vice Provost for Research at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

In this role, Dr. Smith will work closely with faculty, directors of graduate studies, and campus partners to develop and implement programs and resources that support graduate students’ personal and professional preparation for success beyond their degree programs while also promoting holistic well-being. A social psychologist by training, her research examines how social contexts shape motivation and performance in learning and workplace environments, with particular attention to the undergraduate and graduate experience in research settings.

Dr. Smith has published nearly 90 peer-reviewed articles and is an elected Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science. She has also secured more than $11 million in external funding from the NIH and NSF, including several grants focused on professional development. Her distinguished record of leadership, research, and program development makes her exceptionally well positioned to help prepare graduate students for a wide range of career pathways while fostering a supportive and enriching graduate education environment.