Vice Provost of Academic Affairs
As Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, Thomas Smith serves as a campus liaison to the USF Provost’s Office, providing leadership and vision for academic affairs priorities and how that vision is implemented on the St. Petersburg campus. Working with the other campus deans and stakeholders, Dr. Smith supports the academic units and centers in St. Petersburg and serves on the Regional Chancellor’s cabinet, focusing on communication, collaboration, and ensuring campus connectivity.
Dr. Smith has been at USF St. Petersburg for more than 23 years. A human rights expert, he has published widely on research interests, including international humanitarian law, Turkish politics, and foreign policy. Dr. Smith is also the Campus Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and formerly the Associate Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. He is a co-founder of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, now a flagship event that attracts thousands each year and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Holocaust Museum. He earned his undergraduate degree in anthropology from the College of William and Mary and his master's and Ph.D. in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.