Carlton Smith Selected for NASPA Emerging Leader Academy

Carlton Smith, a visiting assistant professor of higher education in UNCW’s Watson College of Education, has been selected to participate in the 2025-26 Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Emerging Faculty Leader Academy.

The NASPA academy is a one-year program for aspiring faculty leaders. Seven participants selected for the academy will participate in on-line educational sessions designed to increase their knowledge and skills in areas including teaching strategies and curriculum development, and serving within professional associations such as NASPA.

“It is an honor to be one of the seven selected for this opportunity and I would like to thank both my department and departmental chair for their support and encouragement in this endeavor,” Dr. Smith said. “I feel a sense of validation that this is the path for me, and I look forward not only to participating in the academy, but for the lessons and experiences to further shape who I am becoming as not just a faculty member, but a faculty leader as well.”

Dr. Smith, who joined UNCW in 2024, has served as a practitioner in both higher education and student affairs for nearly 10 years. He received his Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia. He holds a B.A. in Government from the College of William & Mary where he also received his M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Multicultural Affairs.

Dr. Smith’s teaching, research and service focus on the development of sense of belonging in various student populations, virtual campus environments, and the impacts of technology on the student experience. He is author of the forthcoming publication, The last director, but not the last hope: personal reflections on DEI persistence in an anti-DEI climate. He has also authored a chapter on virtual social environments for the coming publication, Beyond disruption: Building creative and innovative campuses. In addition, his proposal titled, Belonging in the digital age: Exploring counternarratives through digital storytelling and narrative inquiry has been accepted for presentation at the 2025 Annual Eastern Educational Research Association Conference in Hilton Head, SC in February.