معرفی
Dr. Belinda Smith serves as an Associate Professor in the Social Work Department at Morgan State University's School of Social Work, based in the Health and Human Services Center, Room 511. Her work centers on transforming child welfare systems through equity-focused frameworks while addressing systemic biases affecting marginalized communities.
Her academic foundation includes:
- Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University, Washington, DC
- M.S.S.W. from University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
- B.S. in Social Work from Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL
Dr. Smith's research employs critical social justice lenses to dissect child welfare practices, with concentrated focus on implicit bias mechanisms impacting African American families. She pioneers investigations into HBCU-specific educational models through service learning partnerships in urban communities, while simultaneously analyzing scholarly productivity metrics for social work faculty at minority-serving institutions. Her scholarship confronts police violence against Black males through community-centered perspectives and documents resilience pathways for youth aging out of foster care at HBCUs, all while examining how organizational structures dictate permanency decisions in child welfare systems.
Her distinguished recognition includes:
- National Institute of Mental Health Fellowship
As an active mentor in the MSW program, Dr. Smith guides emerging social work professionals through research and field education. Her scholarship directly informs child welfare policy reforms, particularly regarding implicit bias training and organizational accountability frameworks. She maintains significant engagement with professional networks through the Mississippi Child Welfare Institute Conference and Baltimore-focused community initiatives.
Her work exemplifies institutional commitment to community-engaged scholarship, leveraging Morgan State University's HBCU context to develop culturally responsive interventions for child welfare systems across urban settings.
