Dr. Travis C. Smith is a proud native of LaFayette, AL, and an alumnus of The Alabama
State University. In 2020, he earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in Higher Education
at Clemson University. As a critical educator, he focuses on inquiry, practice, and
pedagogy that help disrupt oppressive systems to support racially minoritized students.
His research agenda sits at the intersection of race, gender, and class at Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the experiences of Black graduate students
at PWIs, and post-secondary access for rural Black students. Some of his previous
work employs a variety of qualitative methodological approaches, including phenomenology,
photo-elicitation, photovoice, ethnography, and critical participatory action research.
Travis’s work can be found in several peer-reviewed journals across the field. To
date, Dr. Smith boasts an impressive record that includes 16 publications, 34 national
conference proceedings, over 55 regional conference proceedings and workshops, and
over $2,300,000 in educational research and outreach grants.