Dr. Gabrielle Smith is an experimental social psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Texas Woman’s University (TWU). Smith received her Bachelor’s from Spelman College, a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Alabama (UA). Dr. Smith’s research examines the intersection of marginalized social identities with specific emphasis on race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Primarily, her research centers on how experiences at the intersection of multiple identities impact, predict and define the overall quality of life, health outcomes, and success in both academic and work domains for marginalized populations. Dr. Smith’s previous work explores how social identities exacerbate or buffer against social problems for African American women, women in the workplace, and U.S. Black immigrant populations.

Dr. Smith also contributes to departmental teaching through the creation of several courses which contribute meaningful to course diversity. First, the Psychology and the Media course (PSY 3073) was a popular and well-executed course featuring current pop culture with projected course enrollment three times the initial enrollment. Global Blackness (PSY 3743), which explores Blackness throughout the African diaspora. PSY 3743 was created as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded Building Global Perspectives Fellowship, which sponsors the design of TWU designated global perspectives courses. Dr. Smith has also taught Senior Seminar as a course on the Psychology of the African American Experience, emphasizing both Black heritage and the history and systems of Black Psychology. Furthermore, in line with the TWU strategic plan on health and wellbeing, Dr. Smith proposed a Health Disparities (PSY 4443) course, which supports the department’s new Health Psychology track. Also, in 2016 Dr. Smith’s received the Teacher/Scholar Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in recognition of her establishment of research opportunities for students in a teaching-intensive institution.

Dr. Smith is no stranger to service and make every effort to make her skillset available to her institution, field, and community. Dr. Smith is one of the founding members of the TWU Black Faculty and Staff Association and the current co-advisor for the Psi Chi and Psychology Coalition at Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Smith is also a co-coordinator of the inaugural May 2019 weeklong Faculty of Color (FOC) Writing Retreat. The FOC writing retreat was a partnership with Dr. Sally Stabb, Dr. Danielle Phillips-Cunningham (Multicultural Women and Gender Studies), The CFE, The Colleges of A&S, Professional Education, and Health Sciences. The FOC weeklong intensive retreat designed to prepare junior faculty of color for tenure and to thrive in the academy. Also, Dr. Smith is the current Fund Development Secretary for the Dallas- Fort Worth Urban League Young Professionals.