Smith Earns Ph.D.

Norman, OK- Darnell Smith, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, recently successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation and graduated with his Ph.D. in adult and higher education with a focus on intercollegiate athletic administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Smith earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in natural and applied sciences from Oklahoma State University (OSU), where he played defensive end from 2002 to 2006. A three-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar Award at OSU, he earned second team honors on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Team.

Regarding the earning of his Ph.D., Smith said, "I got into athletic administration to help student-athletes; to enhance the student-athlete experience. That has not changed at all. Enhancing the student-athlete experience was a big motivator for me in wanting to get a Ph.D., and it was a big motivator for me in pushing it across the finish line. At the end of the day, I always want to continue to learn and grow personally and professionally, and earning my Ph.D. was a logical step in that growth. I feel like the perspective and knowledge I gained along the way will help me to be more intentional and impactful with not only our student-athletes but every student I encounter at A&M-San Antonio."