Dr. Felicia Smith, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology. She completed her B.S. at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and then earned her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Dr. Smith completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital /Harvard Medical School, specializing in pediatric psychology & adolescent medicine. Dr. Smith practices in clinical and sport psychology, focusing on the sociocultural context of sport, performance and well-being, including how cultural factors such as gender, ethnicity, and beliefs shape health behaviors and experiences in sport. Dr. Smith teaches Lifespan Development and Sport Psychology courses.
Dr. Smith was elected as the first African American President of the Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA) and was subsequently awarded the KPA Schuster Advocacy Award and KPA Psychologist of the Year Awards. Dr. Smith actively advocates for mental health policy at the state and national levels and currently serves as the Kentucky Representative to the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives.
In her leisure time, Dr. Smith enjoys playing tennis, watching soccer, and traveling with her husband and two children.
Bellarmine University is set to launch a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology program pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education in Fall 2025. Dr. Smith will serve as the Program Director.