Erica Smith

Erica Smith, PhD, is a Professor of Practice in the PreK-12 Education Programs at Tulane University. In addition to teaching, Dr. Smith is the Academic Director of the Tulane Center for K-12 STEM Education where she oversees the Center’s teacher professional development. She is also the Academic Director of Strategic Summer Programs where she develops project-based, place-based STEM curriculum for the summer pre-college enrichment program. She also oversees the training of instructors and teaching assistants.

Dr. Smith started her career as a science educator at Brown University where she earned a MAT. She taught high school science for seven years before completing her PhD in Curriculum Instruction and the Science of Learning (CISL) with a focus in science at SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Smith also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University where she researched and worked with urban elementary teachers, focusing on STEM integration in the classroom.