Adam A. Smith is a nationally-recognized higher education expert, motivational speaker, and author. He is known for his work leading institutional transformations that advance college access, student belonging, and institutional success through equity-driven, student-centered approaches.
A first-generation college graduate and former AmeriCorps member, Adam is deeply committed to transforming systems that block educational opportunity. His career has included leadership roles at institutions across the country, where he’s helped launch student success centers, raise retention and graduation rates, and train educators in well-being and deliberative dialogue.
Adam is the author of Multiracial Roots, Black Fruit: An Inspirational Journey of Love, Faith, and Becoming. His memoir explores the intersection of faith, identity, calling, and service to others while overcoming personal trials that led to a life filled with impact, meaning, and belonging.
He has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, and was appointed to serve as the City of Rockford’s (IL) “Education Czar” by former Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey. Adam has served in campus-wide student success and academic advising leadership roles at the University of Kentucky, Metropolitan State University of Denver, the University of Alabama, and the University of Akron, and also has undergraduate admissions experience from his time at the University of Tennessee.
He has also served as Founding Director of the Upward Bound Program at Rock Valley College, Associate Head Football Coach, Dean of Students and Success, and adjunct faculty at Judson University. He was later appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education and Life-Long Learning in Rockford, IL, and helped launch Bama’s Capstone Center for Student Success at the University of Alabama.
Adam is a gifted storyteller who speaks with warmth, wisdom, and humor. His sessions are grounded in real experience and practical tools—and he has a rare ability to connect across students, faculty, staff, and leadership. Whether addressing educational equity, campus culture, or institutional transformation, Adam inspires audiences to reimagine what's possible and lead with purpose.
Adam holds a B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from Concordia University and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration from National-Louis University, with additional graduate coursework at the University of Akron and the University of Alabama.
AI and Student Success: Leaning Technology to Create Space for People to Do the Work Essential to Student Success and Well-Being
All things Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the rage even on our campuses, where practitioners are worried that agents and AI will replace the critical work of dedicated professionals. Campuses are being called upon to meet a deeper and wider level of holistic needs of students, faculty/staff and the entire community. This speech creates conversation around allowing computers to do the work best done by technology, freeing up the critical human resource of our people to do work only our people can accomplish.
Multiracial Roots Black Fruit: An Inspirational Journey of Love, Faith and Belonging - A discussion with the author
People have called me mixed, bi-racial, mulatto, Oreo, zebra, multi-racial, and yet my Blackness goes far beyond the social construct that is race. My identity, just like my faith, is deeply personal, and yet others have always tried to make sense of my reality through their perceptions and subsequent limitations. My unintended journey of discovering that one can be both multi-racial and Black is not unique. This speech is a conversation about Adam’s recently released work of creative non-fiction that has been called impactful and inspiring.
Creating a Campus Culture that Prioritizes the Well-Being of the Entire Community
The terms well-being and self-care have taken over the higher education landscape since students, faculty and staff returned to work in 2021. Institutions have taken steps to promote and prioritize the wellness of students, and some have done the same to include the professionals who are responsible for supporting and educating them. But how do colleges and universities go beyond slogans and values statements to prioritizing the individual wellness of all members of the community and how do educators intentionally model self-care for students in a season when we are all being asked to do and be more, with less? This workshop will discuss real steps that
Facilitating Deliberative Dialogue in the Classroom and On Campus
Deliberative Dialogue invites students to engage in thoughtful, respectful conversations around complex and often contentious issues—an essential skill in today’s polarized society. Yet many faculty hesitate to incorporate this practice into their teaching, citing uncertainty about how to structure and facilitate dialogue effectively. In this webinar, a panel of experienced educators will share approaches to integrating Deliberative Dialogue into the curriculum, candidly discussing challenges faculty often encounter and the strategies they and other members of the campus community can use to overcome them. Learn how to create an environment where every student and staff member feels comfortable engaging and discover effective ways to manage communication, responses, and emotional triggers during challenging discussions.
The Trickle Down Effect: Increasing Student Belonging, by Ensuring That all Faculty/Staff Feel Seen
Institutions are hyper aware of our critical role in providing holistic support to students, often caring for student’s basic, emotional and financial needs. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, well-being and self-care have been all the rage in our new employment landscape. Often, institutions expect faculty and their leaders to provide support for students that goes beyond the classroom, while prioritizing care for faculty and educational professionals fall by the wayside. This lively and informative conversation will provide practical advice on how to ensure the belonging of diverse faculty/staff in a higher education environment that may not leave the space to prioritize well-being, while discussing how to effectively support students when there are varying levels of support for faculty and administrators. In addition, we will discuss the art of seeing and valuing colleagues in an era where higher education is under a microscope and creating strategies of practice that take self-care beyond words and into life on campus.
