Valerie Smith (academic)
Valerie Smith (born February 19, 1956)[1] is an American academic administrator, professor, and scholar of African-American literature and culture.
In 2000, Smith returned to Princeton as the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Literature and director of the program in African American Studies.
From 2006 to 2009, Smith served as the founding director of Princeton's interdisciplinary Center for African American Studies.
Smith left Princeton after a 24-year tenure to assume the presidency of Swarthmore College in July 2015; she was inaugurated in October.
At age 15, she enrolled at Bates College, where she majored in English literature and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude in 1975.
[4][5] Smith began her teaching career at Princeton University in 1980, holding appointments in English and African-American Studies.
She is credited with helping evolve the CAAS from an interdisciplinary program into a dynamic and top ranked center for teaching and research about race.
Our ability to discover and communicate new knowledge; to find solutions to intractable problems in science and technology, public policy, and the social sciences; and to analyze, contextualize, and express the highest ideals of the human spirit in the humanities and the arts – these are all enhanced when we earnestly engage with others whose perspectives and experiences differ from our own.
"[2] In March 2016, she penned an opinion editorial in the college's newspaper regarding a Letter to the Editor about members of the board of trustees having a conflict of interest in divesting in fossil fuels.
"[13] Smith, along with the Chair of the Managers of Swarthmore College, Tom Spock, issued that "the assertions in the piece [were] unfounded and present[ed] a distorted picture," adding "the administration are united in their deep commitment to climate action.
"[14] Smith concluded the letter by stating that the college will not divest, citing the "Board's responsibility to ensure that both current and future generations of Swarthmore students have access to the financial resources," indicating the importance of dependent investments in their long-term financial goals.
"[19] On February 17, 2017, Smith was interviewed by Adam Bryant for The New York Times where she outlined the college's market position, incoming students, and her leadership philosophy: "creating an environment within my leadership team where people feel that they can trust each other and feel confident sharing their ideas.
[4] In 2016, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Hong Kong Baptist University and delivered a distinguished lecture on "Liberal Arts Education: Challenges and Prospects.
