Heidi Smith

Heidi Linn Smith, Ed.D., is a higher education professional with extensive experience in academic administration, curriculum development, and faculty mentorship. She currently serves as Department Head of Leadership Innovation Studies at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Dr. Smith’s leadership in higher education spans over two decades, beginning at San Diego State University, where she coordinated honors and study abroad programs and supported graduate students in the Chemistry department. She continued to advance her leadership expertise at the University of California, San Diego, where she directed student/parent orientation programs and developed student service models that enhanced satisfaction and retention. At California State University, Long Beach, she served as Associate Director of Educational Leadership Programs, helping to launch and manage a new Ed.D. program while overseeing student development and advising. Building on these experiences, Dr. Smith held senior leadership roles at Trident University International and California Southern University, serving as Dean of Education and Director of Doctoral Studies, where she led the strategy for graduate and doctoral programs, launched a new Ed.D. program, ensured accreditation compliance, facilitated faculty mentoring, and drove curriculum innovation. Dr. Smith has taught online and in-person courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and chaired numerous dissertation research committees. Her scholarship and presentations focus on curriculum innovation and evidence-based practices in higher education.