Excellence in Mentoring Award

Established by FTE in 2017, the Excellence in Mentoring Award recognizes mentors in FTE’s doctoral community who demonstrate a sustained commitment to the advancement of scholars of color through integrative mentorship practices. Each year we seek nominations from within our network who demonstrate mentoring excellence through:

• A sustained investment in mentoring scholars of color
• A holistic approach to mentoring scholars of color
• Mentoring students and peers in the academy and broader community
• Evidence of accountability and healthy boundary setting as a mentor

“Dr. Smith not only mentors within FTE’s doctoral community, but provides mentoring resources for writers in the summer. She has provided countless hours to the next generation of faculty of color in support of their careers. She has helped students navigate the job market, mentored them through their writing, and supported them in their vocational discernment. Her commitment to thriving scholars is beyond comparison in the theological academy.”

In addition to mentoring rising scholars of color, Rev. Dr. Smith is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church where she serves as a resident scholar at the historic Cathedral of the AME Church, Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C.

Rev. Dr. Smith serves on the Society of Biblical Literature’s Women in the Bible Steering Committee and the Emory Studies in Early Christianity editorial board for SBL Press. Previously, she was also a national mentor for the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) and has been recognized as an outstanding alumna and mentor by IRT’s Maryland Alumni Chapter and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program.

This is the sixth Excellence in Mentoring Award. Past awardees include:

• Dr. Kwok Pui Lan (2017)
• Dr. Dale P. Andrews (2018)
• Dr. Elizabeth Conde Frazier (2019)
• Dr. AnneMarie Mingo(2020)
• Dr. Tat-siong Benny Liew (2021)