Stephen Charles Smith

Stephen Smith is a Professor of Economics and International Affairs.  He was Department Chair from 2019 to 2025 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, emploee ownership, and other topics in the economics of organization and economics of participation, including research in Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. 

The 14th edition of Economic Development, which he co-authors with Michael Todaro, is in producton for Fall 2026.  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 (Italy), Jean Monnet Research Fellow, Visiting Fellow and Nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, Fulbright Senior Specialist(India), UNICEF Senior Research Fellow and an IZA Visiting Fellow (Bonn). 

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 Board of Directors of BRAC-USA, and has consulted for the World Bank, United Nations Development Program, USAID, International Labor Organization, and World Institute for Development Economics Research.