Kimberly White-Smith has received the Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The honor is given annually to a recipient who has demonstrated distinguished service or developed outstanding practices in the field of teacher preparation.
Dr. Smith currently serves as professor and dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego in California. She has over 25 years of teacher education experience, previously holding academic appointments at the University of California, Chapman University in California, and the University of La Verne in California. Her scholarly research has been dedicated to academic justice for underserved students, teacher and student learning, equity and leadership in education, and Black mother scholars. She also served as a public school teacher earlier in her career.
In addition to her roles at the University of San Diego, Dr. Smith holds leadership appointments in various professional organizations. This includes president-elect for the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges of Teacher Education, vice president of the California Council on Teacher Education, and executive board member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Her professional background has led her to authoring or co-authoring many publications including the book Through the Fire: From Intake to Credential (Brill, 2018).
“Through her leadership and scholarship, Dr. White-Smith inspires a new generation of teachers to serve students and approach their work with equity, compassion, and respect,” said Gail F. Baker, provost and senior vice president at the University of San Diego.
Dr. White-Smith received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California Berkeley, her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Columbia University in New York, and a doctorate in learning and instruction from the University of Southern California.