Dr. Ashley Smith was named the recipient of the Department Alumnus of the Year Award for Lee University’s Helen DeVos College of Education.
“There is hardly anyone in Cleveland who has not been directly impacted by the work of Dr. Smith,” said Dr. Jason Robinson, associate professor of education. “It is hard to even begin to quantify the impact his life and work has had on the Cleveland community this past half century.”
Dr. Smith joined Lee’s faculty in 2005 as the director of Field Experiences and began directing the Teacher Education Program the following year.
Prior to his arrival at Lee, he served as the supervisor of middle grades and grants for the Cleveland City School System and as principal of Cleveland Middle School for 18 years.
He is a board member of the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools and past president of the Association for Middle Level Education.
“I am honored that the Helen DeVos College of Education selected me to be the 2019 alumnus of the year,” said Dr. Smith. “At the end of this academic year, I will have completed 50 years as a teacher, principal, and Lee professor. This honor is a wonderful capstone to my career in education.”
Dr. Smith earned a two-year degree from Lee College in 1965. He also earned his Doctor of Education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, his Master of Science from Middle Tennessee State University, and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida.
Dr. Smith’s award was presented at the department breakfast for alums during Lee’s homecoming celebrations.