Naila A. Smith, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of education, youth, and social innovation in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia (UVA). An applied developmental psychologist by training, her research applies an anti-racist, equity-focused, and strength-based lens to interrogate the role of context and identity in the lived experiences of marginalized—primarily Black, Latinx, and immigrant—communities.
Dr. Smith’s program of research encompasses three interrelated lines of scholarship on sociocultural risks, resources, and assets. Her work on sociocultural risks examines the negative impact of systems of oppression (e.g., racism) on the development of marginalized groups across the lifespan. Her research on sociocultural resources investigates how external factors (e.g., social relationships) can help protect and promote development among marginalized communities. Her research on sociocultural assets focuses on the internal strengths of communities of color that can buffer against the negative effects of inequitable contexts, help resist oppression, and promote thriving.
Dr. Smith has published her work in leading journals such as Child Development, Educational Researcher, and the Journal of Research on Adolescence (JRA). She is a consulting editor at JRA, regularly reviews for the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) conferences, and was an Emerging Scholar blogger for SRA, where she wrote about issues of equity and inclusion for Black scholars. Her work has been supported by the Spencer Foundation and the American Association of University Women. She has been a member of SRCD since 2011.