Dan Smith

Dan Smith is a Professor and Associate Dean for the Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware, affiliated with the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration. He previously served as Associate Director of the Biden School and Director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, and has held leadership roles in faculty governance, including President of the College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Senate and member of the University Faculty Senate Budget Committee.

His research focuses on state government budgeting and financial management, particularly fiscal institutions, fund balance practices, and long-term fiscal health planning. His scholarly work has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Public Budgeting & Finance, and Public Choice.

Smith is actively engaged in professional service, serving on the editorial boards of Public Administration and State & Local Government Review, and formerly as co-editor of JPART and editorial board member of PAR. He is the co-author of two widely adopted textbooks: Financial Management for Public, Health, and Not-for-Profit Organizations (Sage/CQ Press) and Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting: Concepts and Practices (Wiley).

He is a member of the Commission on Peer Review & Accreditation (COPRA), recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and previously served on the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC). He was also past chair of the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM).

Dan Smith earned his PhD in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He also holds an MPA in State & Local Management and a BA in Political Science (Magna Cum Laude), both from the University of Delaware.

He advises students and contributes to academic and professional development in public administration, though specific advisees are not listed. He is not associated with any specific lab or research team in the provided text, but his work is closely tied to centers and institutes within the Biden School, including those focused on public service and policy analysis.