Professor of Economics, Department Chair of Economics & Finance
Belmont University

Dr. Smith joined Belmont University in 2010, where she teaches Healthcare and Public Finance Economics. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Dr. Smith worked in the State of Tennessee’s Department of Finance and Administration where she assisted with the annual preparation of the state budget. As a result of that experience, her research focuses on public finance economics with a particular interest in the economics of state lotteries, state and local taxes and the intersection of public programs, poverty, and health disparity. She presents her work at regional and national conferences, and her research appears in Southern Economic Journal, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Journal of Poverty and Public Policy, and International Review of Economics Education.

In 2020, Dr. Smith was honored by the Southern Economic Association with the Georgescu-Roegan Prize for her work on the regressivity of so-called “education lotteries.” She holds a B.A. in International Economics and Spanish from Carson-Newman University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she taught a variety of classes and worked as a research assistant in the Center for Business and Economic Research. Dr. Smith serves on the Board of Nashville Ballet and is an active member at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.