Bob Smith serves as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas (U of A or UA). Bob reports to the Chancellor and is the chief academic officer for the University. In this position, he has responsibility for academic affairs policy development and oversight of 10 colleges and schools, along with several other academic units (e.g., Air Force and Army ROTC, the Teaching and Faculty Support Center, and the offices of institutional research and summer session).

Prior to joining the U of A, Bob served as Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Connecticut (UConn). In this position, Bob had responsibility for research oversight at Storrs and the regional campuses and graduate education across the UConn system, including biomedical graduate programs at the Health Center in Farmington.

Before assuming the post at UConn, Bob served for more than ten years as Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Washington State University (WSU). Also at WSU, Bob served as Dean of the College of Pharmacy during 1985-86. Bob's earlier academic and administrative appointments included serving as James E. Bauerle Professor (1983-85) and Director of the Drug Dynamics Institute (1978-85) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). He also served in Professor (1977-83) and Associate Professor (1974-77) positions at UT Austin. He began his academic career at the University of Iowa where he was Associate and Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry (1968-74). Bob's Ph.D. (1968) and master's (1964) degrees (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) were earned at the University of Michigan; his B.S. degree (Pharmaceutical Sciences) was awarded cum laude by St. John's University in New York (1963).

Bob is a native of New York. His research and scholarly interests have been in the pharmaceutical sciences, communication, professional development, and university administration. He is the author or co-author of over 280 published articles and eight books, including The Elements of Great Speechmaking: Adding Drama & Intrigue, published by the University Press of America in 2004, Pedestals, Parapets & Pits: The Joys, Challenges & Failures of Professional Life published by Phoenix International, Inc. in 2005, and Where You Stand is Where You Sit: An Academic Administrator's Handbook published by the University of Arkansas Press in 2006. He also edits a quarterly on-line journal (All Things Academic, http://libinfo.uark.edu/ata/), which has been published since 2000 and is archived and managed by the UA Libraries.

Bob Smith was profiled ("A Gentleman and a Scholar," by Robert Evatt) in the February 4, 2001 edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, pp. D-1 and D-4. His use of necktie art in presentations was described ("Ties Illustrate More Than Speeches: Colorful, 'Themed' Neckware Inspires UA Provost," by Tracie Dungan) in a follow-up profile in the November 10, 2003 edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, pp. B-1 and B-2.

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