Dr. Howard W. Smith

Assistant to the President

Duties:

• Serves as legislative liaison for the university in Topeka and Washington D.C..
• Serves as the university administration's representative in local activities with the city of Pittsburg, the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce and other southeast Kansas initiatives.
• Serves as liaison for the president with the Classified Senate.
• Coordinates special projects and initiatives as directed by the President.
• Monitors university committees through the president's office.

Dr. Smith's Background:

Smith has an extensive career in education having served as adjunct professor, professor, chair, executive director and assistant to the president at the university level. He has service in higher education in Texas, Arkansas and Kansas. Smith also has community college background having served on the board of trustees for Northwest Arkansas Community College. He also has a depth of experience in K-12 education which began in 1975 as an elementary school teacher in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Over the years, he has been a middle school teacher, elementary school principal, middle school principal, executive director of middle schools and superintendent of schools. He served Kansas school districts in Shawnee Mission, Overland Park, Coffeyville, and Pittsburg as well as districts in Amarillo, Texas, and Bentonville, Arkansas.

Smith received his bachelor's degree in elementary education from PSU, his master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in educational administration from Kansas State University. He joined the Pitt State faculty in 1996.