Amy Erica Smith
American political scientist (born 1976)
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Amy Erica Smith is an American political scientist.
Amy Erica Smith | |
|---|---|
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Political science |
| Sub-discipline | |
| Institutions | Iowa State University |
| Main interests | |
Education and academic career
Smith was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Dallas, Texas.[1] She earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies at the University of Texas at Austin, obtained a master's degree in city and regional planning at Cornell University, then pursued doctoral studies in political science at the University of Pittsburgh.[2][3] Smith moved to Ames, Iowa, in 2012,[4] and began teaching at Iowa State University as an assistant professor of political science. In 2018, she became an associate professor.[5] Since 2019,[6][7] Smith has served as a Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor.[8][9] In 2024, Smith was promoted to a full professorship.[10]
Fellowships, awards, and honors
In 2014, Smith received a Fulbright Fellowship and was based in Brazil.[11] From 2016 to 2017, she held a fellowship at the University of Notre Dame's Kellogg Institute for International Studies.[12][13][14] In 2019, Smith was awarded a fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies.[15][16] In 2020,[17][18] Smith became the first Iowa State University faculty member to be awarded a Carnegie Fellowship.[19] That same year, Smith was also a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[20]
Political career
In November 2021, Smith was the leading vote-getter of three candidates elected to the Ames School Board.[21][22] She did not run for reelection in November 2025.[23]
Personal life
Smith is married to the Romanian-born software engineer and artist Tibi Chelcea.[24][25] They first met in Pennsylvania, while he was employed by Carnegie Mellon University and she studied at the University of Pittsburgh.[24] Chelcea began making art in the late 2000s, and is a member of the art collective Ames C.art.[25][26] He helped organize an art exhibit during a sesquicentennial celebration marking the platting of Ames.[25][26]
Smith speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.[5]
Selected publications
- Smith, Amy Erica (2019). Religion and Brazilian Democracy: Mobilizing the People of God. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108640619.[27]