Katherine Smith is associate dean for strategic initiatives at Duke Divinity School, where she develops and leads programs and initiatives to equip current and future leaders with the skills, competencies, and capacities to support effective Christian leadership for today’s world. Dr. Smith brings two decades of nonprofit and higher education leadership experience, including leadership development programs ranging from high school students to chief executive officers. She is a regular consultant to theological and higher education institutions in the U.S. on matters of education policy and practice.
An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she previously served as assistant dean for admissions, vocation, and stewardship at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn., director of the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation, and managing director of Princeton Project 55, Inc., a nation-wide nonprofit organization that mobilizes civic leadership for the public good. Dr. Smith holds a B.A. in English literature from Princeton University, a M.Div. from Duke Divinity School, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.