Patricia Smith

Patricia Smith is a Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, affiliated with the Department of Economics. Her research focuses on the intersection of socioeconomic status and health outcomes, including studies on fast food consumption patterns, body weight misperception's relationship with employment and earnings, and the impact of public food assistance programs on obesity. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech (1986) and has been teaching courses in microeconomics, poverty and discrimination, and quantitative methods since joining UM-Dearborn in 1988.

Her work bridges economic theory with public health policy, emphasizing how socioeconomic factors shape health behaviors and access to resources. Despite no explicit listings of awards or grants in the provided text, her research contributions to health economics are notable within her academic community.