Whether restoring a three-story Victorian house during a bitter Pittsburgh winter or working with faculty to develop stronger academic programs, Richard Smith is a builder by nature.  A patient builder.  You may have heard his eloquent convocation address, or have seen him striding here and there across campus.  He is the new Dean of the College, and Millsaps is honored to have his leadership.
   Most recently Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Humanities and the Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon, Smith joined Millsaps last August and has already had a significant impact upon the college through several initiatives. 
   "We are most fortunate to have attracted an individual like Richard to carry on the outstanding academic tradition that has been the hallmark of Millsaps College," stated President Harmon at the Fall Faculty Conference. 
   Having spent the last 20 years teaching at research universities, Smith enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to return to a liberal arts environment similar to that of his own undergraduate college, Whittier in California. 
   He also met his wife, Colleen, at Whittier, which might further explain his special fondness for the liberal arts experience. 
   After graduation from Whittier, Smith left his native California to earn his master's degree and doctorate in political science at the University of Rochester.  From Rochester, the Smiths moved to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, where he rose from instructor to Associate Dean by virtue of his impressive blend of scholarly, administrative, and teaching skills. 
   Balanced in his abilities, he received several prestigious grants from the National Science Foundation and awards for his research contributions.  He is the recipient of the Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service. 
   The Smiths have one son, Robert, who is 13 years old.  As a family, they enjoy hiking, white-water rafting, snorkeling, body surfing, as well as gardening and other outdoor activities.  Though he has not had time to do so yet, Smith would like to try to grow orchids next season. 
   Living in the Deep South is a new experience for the Smiths, but it is a return to the climate of his upbringing in southern California and hers in Hawaii. 
   "It has been wonderful here in terms of the people," Smith says, "and in terms of the physical beauty of the state.  We are still figuring out what is different about living in the South.  Church is far more important, for example.  The civility of manners is far more important." 
   Smith is impressed by the quality and dedication of the Millsaps faculty and students, and as he explains in the following interview, he looks forward to building on the college's strengths and addressing areas in need of improvement.  

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