Sonya G. Smith, EdD, JD is the chief diversity officer at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in Washington, DC. She has served as the associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs & Enrollment Services and associate professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Dr. Smith worked at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), previously serving as the associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs/ Chief Student Affairs Officer; associate professor of Health Services Research Administration in the College of Public Health. Prior to her appointment at UNMC, she served as the associate to the President; assistant vice president of Academic Affairs for Diversity at the University of Nebraska Central Administration.
Dr. Smith’s experiences include serving as a public policy consultant for seven (7) years for the Office of the General Counsel - Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Tennessee Department of Health - General Counsel’s Office, and the TennCare Bureau in the areas of healthcare policy, compliance, health inequities, legislation, and access issues related to underrepresented and vulnerable populations.
Dr. Smith holds a BS in History, MEd in Curriculum & Instruction, and an EdS in Administration & Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University. She received her doctorate in Higher Education Administration and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Vanderbilt University, and completed a certificate in international law at the Tulane University Institute of European Legal Studies in Paris, France.
