Home Nonprofit & Education Education Smith named Providence College’s new provost

Smith named Providence College’s new provost

By

James Bessette

-

04/28/2025

Thomas Smith — THOMAS SMITH has been named Providence College's new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE COLLEGE

PROVIDENCE – Thomas Smith, a teacher and scholar with two decades of academic leadership experience, has been named Providence College’s new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, the Dominican Friars college announced Monday. PC said that Smith, who will join the college on July 1, comes to Rhode Island from Washington, D.C-based Catholic

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PROVIDENCE – Thomas Smith, a teacher and scholar with two decades of academic leadership experience, has been named Providence College’s new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, the Dominican Friars college announced Monday. PC said that Smith, who will join the college on July 1, comes to Rhode Island from Washington, D.C-based Catholic University of America. There, Smith served as the university’s School of Arts and Sciences dean since the summer of 2020. At CUA, Smith, PC said, helped advance the school’s strategic planning, faculty development and support, student recruitment and enrollment, fundraising and policy development. He was also a professor within the university’s politics department. Smith also previously spend 20 years at Villanova University, where he was founding chair of the Pennsylvania-based university’s humanities department in 2003. Now, Smith will oversee PC’s academic operations and offerings for students. "I’m honored by the confidence President [The Rev. Kenneth R.] Sicard has shown in inviting me to become Providence College's next provost,” Smith said in a statement. "Throughout the search process I was struck by the hospitality and pride of the Friar family. So, it is an honor and privilege to be called to serve our community in this role.” Smith formally succeeds Sean F. Reid, who resigned as PC’s provost last April after four years in that role. At the time, Reid reportedly was helping PC navigate is concerns over alleged discrimination on campus against the LGBTQ+ community. PC spokesperson Steven Maurano told Providence Business News at that time Reid’s resignation was not because of any action or nonaction he took in handling any concerns from the campus’ LGBTQ+ community. James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.