Michael Hagearty
Institute Communications and Public Affairs
Anderson Smith,
a Regents’ professor of psychology
and associate dean of the College of Sciences, has been
named Georgia Tech’s new vice provost for Undergraduate
Studies and Academic Affairs.
A professor at Tech for
35 years, Smith is expected to begin immediately. He
succeeds Bob McMath, who departed
earlier this year for a position at the University
of Arkansas.
As vice provost, Smith will oversee student academic
services and coordinates campus-wide initiatives to
improve the
teaching and learning environment for
undergraduates.
He has been involved with these issues before, both
as a former director of the School of Psychology and
as current
associate dean of the College of Sciences.
Since joining the faculty in 1970, Smith has also participated in numerous
Institute-wide
committees. Most recently, Smith was involved in the Institute’s reaccreditation,
serving on each of three committees that performed program reviews, monitored
compliance and developed a quality enhancement plan. He also serves as co-chair
of the planning committee for the Undergraduate Learning Center (ULC).
Provost
Jean-Lou Chameau said this level of involvement has provided Smith with
a keen understanding of the job’s responsibilities.
“In addition to Dr. Smith’s years of administrative experience and
a wealth of knowledge about Georgia Tech, its students and faculty, he brings
to this position an enthusiasm for the educational process,” Chameau said. “For
some time, Andy has been a campus expert in many areas pertinent to the position:
promotion and tenure, the Undergraduate Learning Center, curriculum matters
and academic policies. He is uniquely qualified to serve as our next vice
provost
and I am confident that he will be a strong and effective advocate for our
faculty and students.”
“Looking at the horizon, this is a very exiting
time to be in this position,” Smith
said. “Our challenge will be to continue to recruit outstanding
students and to strengthen our commitment and resources that are necessary
to provide
the best education possible.”
To do that, Smith cited four emerging
initiatives — the ULC, the Honors
Program, the International Plan and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program — devoted to improving the quality of undergraduate instruction.
“No prospective student or parent will be anything
but impressed by the academic support we’ll be
offering,” he said.
Like McMath, Smith plans to
continue teaching undergraduate courses and mentoring
graduate students working in his lab.
“I’m a faculty member first. I realize
I’ll have more administrative
responsibility, but I’m very proud to have earned an Outstanding
Teacher Award; I still enjoy teaching undergraduates and involving
them in my research.”
Smith holds both master’s and
doctoral degrees in experimental psychology from the University
of Virginia. His primary research interest concerns the
changes in memory that occur with age.
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