Robert (Bob) V. Smith is a Senior Consultant and Member at ZRG The Registry, and part of ZRG’s Education, Nonprofit, and Social Impact practice. He brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, academic administration, research, graduate education, and university consulting.

Bob’s career has included 45 years in tenured faculty and senior leadership roles in six major public research universities, including three years as Vice President of CBT University Consulting in Sacramento, California, as well as Registry Senior Consultant since 2017.

His higher education leadership experience includes serving as Provost and Senior Vice President at Texas Tech University, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at The University of Arkansas, Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School at The University of Connecticut, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, and Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Washington State University.  

His work reflects a broad understanding of academic strategy, research enterprise leadership, graduate education, and institutional administration. He has also contributed to more than 335 articles and 16 books across chemistry, higher education, the humanities and social sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, and personal and professional development.

Bob earned his PhD and MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from The University of Michigan and his BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences, cum laude, from St. John’s University in New York. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Doctoral Graduate by The University of Michigan Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and as a Distinguished Alumnus by The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.

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