Thomas W. Smith

Thomas W. Smith is a Professor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of South Florida (USF), serving as Campus Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the USF St. Petersburg campus. He is affiliated with the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies. His research focuses on human rights, international humanitarian law, and Turkish politics/foreign policy.

Smith earned a Ph.D. (1997), M.A. (1992), and B.A. (1984) from the University of Virginia and College of William & Mary, respectively. He has authored/co-edited books including History and International Relations (2014) and Human Rights and War Through Civilian Eyes, with recent co-edited works like Communicating Papal Authority in the Middle Ages (2024).

He has been recognized with awards such as the 2019 USF Global Faculty Award for Community Engagement and the 2015 Khaladjan Award for Innovation in Higher Education. Smith teaches courses in international relations, political thought, and literature. His career includes roles at Koç University (Istanbul) and Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies. He co-founded the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs and serves on the Florida Holocaust Museum’s Board.