Richard M. Smith Named Coordinator of New Graduate Program in Public Administration at McDaniel College

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Richard M. Smith, Coordinator of M.S. in Public Administration at McDaniel College

WESTMINSTER, MD (07/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Richard M. Smith has been named coordinator of the new graduate program in public administration at McDaniel College, Westminster, Md. Born and raised in Baltimore, he now resides outside of Philadelphia in Lansdowne, Pa. (19050).

Dr. Smith is currently an assistant professor of sociology at McDaniel. His research focuses on the sociology of religion and the sociology of race and racism.

After graduating from McDaniel in 2000, he went on to earn both his master's degree and Ph.D. from Temple University. Smith has taught at McDaniel since 2010.

On being selected the coordinator of the new program, he said, "I have always been interested in how to influence change in society. I believe public administration is one of the ways in which a person can advocate and actively foster change. My experience as a sociologist, youth counselor and social activist provides me with not only the academic foundation but also the passion and excitement for public administration."

Henry Reiff, dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at McDaniel College, said, "I had the pleasure of knowing Richard when he was an undergraduate student at McDaniel. It was clear that he was a passionate, intellectual and natural leader. He was also a successful advocate for social justice. He brings what is expected to McDaniel's graduate programs-expertise, commitment, energy and vision. He is the perfect candidate to lead this new program."

As an extension of McDaniel's social and human service graduate programs, the new master of science degree in public administration combines courses on public administration and public policy. The program prepares students for careers in local, state or federal government, nonprofit organizations and the public sector, including healthcare, higher education, transportation, social programs, economic policy and environmental policy agencies, labor unions, and professional associations. The program, to begin in Fall 2012, is being offered entirely online. In addition, a five-year combined bachelor's/master's degree in public administration is being offered to undergraduate students studying business administration, environmental policy and science, political science and international studies, psychology, and sociology.

For more information, contact McDaniel's Graduate and Professional Studies at 410-857-2500 or visit http://www.mcdaniel.edu/graduate.

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McDaniel College, recognized nationally among "40 Colleges that Change Lives" and U.S. News top-tier liberal arts colleges, is a four-year private college of the liberal arts and sciences offering more than 70 undergraduate programs of study, including dual and student-designed majors, plus 21 highly regarded graduate programs. Its hallmark faculty-student collaborations in research, teaching and mentoring plus hundreds of leadership and service opportunities enrich a lively learning experience that is rooted in a personalized interdisciplinary and global curriculum. Innovative January courses take students to points all over the world while McDaniel's degree-granting European campus offers a unique opportunity for international study at the only American university in Budapest, Hungary. A diverse and close-knit community of 1,600 undergraduates and 1,560 part-time graduate students, McDaniel also boasts a spectacular 160-acre hilltop campus in Westminster, Md., an hour or less from Baltimore, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay, an Amtrak station and BWI international airport.