Zanthia Y. Smith

Zanthia Y. Smith serves as Associate Professor, Interim Chair, and Program Director for the BA-ASL program within the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education at Lamar University. With 29 years of continuous faculty service, she teaches across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels while leading departmental initiatives.

Her academic foundation is entirely rooted at Lamar University:

• Ed.D. in Deaf Studies and Deaf Education (1999)
• M.S. in Deaf Education (1985)
• B.S. in Communication Disorders (1983)

Professor Smith's work centers on Deaf Education and American Sign Language with emphasis on curriculum development for ASL programs. Her research integrates Deaf cultural studies, language acquisition methodologies, and accessible pedagogy. The BA-ASL program under her direction prepares students for careers requiring advanced ASL proficiency and cultural competence. Prior to academia, her 8 years of K-12 teaching experience provides critical practical grounding for her scholarly work.