Maya Angela Smith

Maya Angela Smith serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of French and Italian Studies and Associate Dean for Equity, Justice and Inclusion in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington. She earned her PhD in Romance Languages and Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013, following undergraduate and master's studies at New York University in the joint MA/BA program with the Institute of French Studies.

Dr. Smith's research focuses on the intersection of racial and linguistic identity formations among marginalized groups in the African diaspora, particularly in postcolonial Francophone contexts. Her scholarship spans several critical areas:

• Applied linguistics and language pedagogy
• Diaspora studies with emphasis on Senegalese communities
• Francophone and French language studies
• Italian language and cultural studies
• Postcolonial race and ethnicity studies
• Second language acquisition and inclusive teaching methods

Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on how language shapes identity formation among marginalized communities. Recent works reveal increasing attention to decolonizing language curricula, exploring Blackness in the French Caribbean, and examining intersections of race, gender, and language in diasporic contexts. Her upcoming book "Ne me quitte pas" (Duke University Press, 2025) explores translation across languages, geographies, and generations through Jacques Brel's famous song.

Dr. Smith's significant scholarly contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• Modern Language Association's French and Francophone Studies book prize for "Senegal Abroad: Linguistic Borders, Racial Formations, and Diasporic Imaginaries" (2019)
• Camargo Foundation's Author-in-Residence Fellowship
• Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty
• UW Research Royalty Fund Fellowship
• Simpson Center Society of Scholars

Dr. Smith has secured substantial research funding supporting ethnographic fieldwork with Senegalese communities in Paris, Rome, and New York. She teaches courses including "French Language and Cultural Identity," "Qualitative Research Methods," and "Language in the Francophone World." As Associate Dean, she leads initiatives focused on equity and inclusion within the College of Arts and Sciences, drawing on her expertise in inclusive language pedagogies to address systemic barriers in academic spaces. She also maintains an active creative practice as a visual artist, with exhibitions in multiple international venues.