Stephen C. Smith

Stephen Smith is Department Chair, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs.  He is also a Research Fellow of the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), and has served twice as Director of the Institute for International Economic Policy. 

Professor Smith’s work focuses on economic development, with an emphasis on solutions to poverty. He also researches economic development strategies, developing country financing issues, and the economics of adaptation to climate change. He has done on‑site research and program work in developing countries including Bangladesh, China, Ecuador, India, Peru, Senegal and Uganda. 

He has also conducted extensive research on the economics of cooperatives, works councils, and other topics in the economics of organization and economics of participation, including research in Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. 

The 13th edition of Economic Development, which he co-authors with Michael Todaro, was published in May 2020.  He is also author or coauthor of over 50 journal articles, and many other publications including Ending Global Poverty: A Guide to What Works.

Smith has received awards and fellowships including appointments as Fulbright Research Scholar, Jean Monnet Research Fellow, IZA Research Fellow, Visiting Fellow and Nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, Fulbright Senior Specialist, and most recently UNICEF Senior Research Fellow during his sabbatical in 2018.

Professor Smith teaches courses and supervises dissertations primarily in development economics; he has also taught Economics of Poverty Alleviation, International Finance, Intermediate Microeconomics, and the International Development Studies masters capstone.

He is a member of the BRAC-USA Advisory Council, and has consulted for the World Bank, United Nations Development Program, USAID, International Labor Organization, and World Institute for Development Economics Research.