Dr. Erin Smith named the Fletcher Jones Foundation Endowed Professor of Research

Riverside, Calif. (Oct. 4, 2021) – Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology, has been named the Fletcher Jones Foundation Endowed Professor of Research at California Baptist University.

“I am excited by the opportunities this position presents and humbled by the support of the university in selecting me to help shape CBU’s research culture,” Smith said.

The professorship is funded with a $600,000 grant from the Fletcher Jones Foundation. CBU matched this with institutional funds as part of the endowment matching program, creating a $1.2 million permanent endowment.

“CBU is incredibly grateful for the gift,” said Dr. Charles Sands, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

The professor role will involve leadership, administrative and academic responsibilities, including: providing leadership in cultivating a culture of research and scholarship at CBU; and developing and enacting strategies and programs to enhance the research environment and opportunities in the university.

Sands said Smith fit the role with her experience as director of research for the Center for the Study of Human Behavior within the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and by representing CBU in scholarly forums on science and religion.

“Dr. Smith has an extensive background in the areas of research and scholarship. She will provide leadership in cultivating a culture of research and scholarship at CBU,” Sands said.

Smith started teaching at CBU 10 years ago and became director of research for the Center for the Study of Human Behavior five years ago.

“In many ways, my tasks as the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Research will be an extension of what I have started in the CSHB—helping faculty with their next steps in research,” Smith said. “However, this position will afford me a different vantage point of faculty expertise across the campus. I hope that this campus-eye view will be fruitful in the cultivation and flourishing of important multidisciplinary work to address some of the most pressing issues facing our culture.”

Smith said CBU is well-poised to pursue meaningful multidisciplinary research.

“I’m looking forward to being in a position where I can support faculty as they engage research in pursuit of their calling—their purpose—and I’m looking forward to seeing how the research at CBU might be leveraged in new and exciting ways for God’s glory,” Smith said.