Adam Smith joins Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Adam Smith has joined the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence as an assistant research professor of teaching and learning scholarship.

In his new role, Smith hopes to advance conversations to promote diverse perspectives in the classroom, promoting a culture of dialogue around difficult classroom conversations. In addition, he is interested in the role of transparency in assignment design and as it relates to teaching more broadly, with a growing body of research suggesting that this can affect how students perceive the environment as welcoming or not. Finally, he remains committed to the value of faculty self-care to improving outcomes in and out of the classroom, having co-presented this work at multiple national conferences.

Prior to coming to Penn State, Smith served as an instructional consultant at Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University.

"Dr. Smith brings a wealth of experience working with faculty at research institutions," commented Angela Linse, executive director and associate dean of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence.

Smith has worked extensively with graduate students through Texas Tech’s TEACH and Groundwork programs, both designed to help assist graduate instructors through workshops and one-on-one coaching and consultation. Through this program and others at Texas Tech, he said, he is a firm believer in the power of peer observation, believing that we can learn from each other in ways that can surprise us.

"Adam’s multi-disciplinary background in the Arts and Social Sciences will complement the disciplines represented by the faculty on our instructional consulting and research team," Linse added.

In addition to his work in faculty development, Smith also maintains a musical life as a teacher and performer. As a pianist, he has performed both solo recitals and in ensembles such as jazz, Zydeco and tango. He said he believes that staying in touch with the day-to-day challenges of teaching and learning through music helps him relate to the issues faced by faculty in all disciplines.