Dr. Denise A. Smith is the deputy director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. Her groundbreaking research delves into educational equity, promoting diversity in a post-affirmative action society, the financing of HBCUs, and the pivotal role of government funding in empowering these institutions and their students’ success. Through her unwavering commitment to research and policy advocacy, she has shed light on the glaring funding disparities facing HBCUs and the formidable challenges Black women encounter in accessing higher education. Dr. Smith’s influential work has garnered attention from numerous members of Congress and state legislatures, spurring concrete steps to address these critical issues.
Prior to her role at TCF, Dr. Smith served as the director of college programs and student engagement at Truth Initiative, known for its truth campaign, where she led the first-ever truth® College Programs creating student leaders on college campuses and spearheaded impactful campaigns on issues such as vaping and the ban on menthol. Her extensive experience includes stakeholder engagement and grantmaking to over 200 minority-serving institutions, HBCUs, women’s colleges, and community colleges, providing invaluable strategic guidance on institutional-level policy change to campus administration task forces, fostering collaboration between faculty, students, and community partners as well equipping students with the leadership skills necessary to drive policy change.
Dr. Smith holds a doctorate of philosophy in higher education leadership and policy studies from Howard University and a master of public health policy degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. Her bachelor’s degree is from South Carolina State University, and she was recently honored as a member of their inaugural 40 under 40 class. She also serves on the Advisory Council for Howard University’s Center for HBCU Leadership, Research, and Policy and is a distinguished member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
