Dr. Patriann Smith is a distinguished scholar, author, and educator, specializing in language and literacy
She holds a position at the University of South Florida, and her extensive academic journey includes a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, with a concentration in Literacy Studies, a cognate in Multilingual Education, and an MEd in Reading Education. She also holds a BSc in Elementary Education and an AA in Elementary Teacher Training.
With a diverse career, she has served in professorial roles at various prestigious institutions, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on the intersection of race, language, and immigration, emphasizing transculturally, transracially, and translinguistically responsive literacy and assessment practices.
Dr Smith’s dedication to diversity and equity is evident through her leadership roles, numerous awards, and active involvement in academic organizations. Her scholarship is characterized by a commitment to creating positive change and advancing equity in education. She is the author of ‘Black Immigrant Literacies: Intersections of Race, Language, and Culture in the Classroom’ (2023) and ‘Black Immigrant Literacies: Translanguaging Imaginaries of Innocence’ (2024), and Co-Founder of the RISE Caribbean Educational Research Center.
