Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith is the founder and director of the Institute for Social Work and Environmental Justice. In partnership with Adelphi University, she launched the first continuing education certificate program in Environmental Justice for social workers.

Kelly currently serves as an inaugural member of the Grand Challenge Advisory Council for Creating Social Responses to a Changing Environment. She was also a member of the Council for Social Work Education’s Environmental Justice Curricular Guide Task Force, assisting with competency development for the EPAS Curricular Guide Resource Series.

Kelly earned her Doctor of Social Work degree at the University of Southern California in 2020, where she was honored with The Order of Arête and Phi Alpha Honor Society memberships. Kelly holds a master’s degree in Gender and Social Policy from the London School of Economics and another master’s degree in secondary education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton with a double-major in English Literature and Psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies.