Laurie Smith, a former adjunct faculty member and researcher at Mississippi State University has been chosen as director of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor. The Women’s Bureau was created by law in 1920 to formulate standards and policies to promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment. Today, the Women’s Bureau develops policies and standards and conducts inquiries to safeguard the interests of working women; to advocate for their equality and economic security for themselves and their families, and to promote quality work environments.
Dr Smith previously was executive director of the State Workforce Investment Board and senior education policy advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. Dr. Smith formerly served as the executive director of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council.
Dr. Smith is a graduate of the University of Arizona. She holds a master’s degree from Western New Mexico University and a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University.