Shanna E. Smith, Ph.D.
Educational Background Research & Statistical Experience Teaching Experience Publications
Conference Presentations & Workshops Published Essays Service  Awards & Fellowships

Educational Background

University of Texas at Austin (1996- 2002)

University of Texas at Austin (1992-1996)

Research & Statistical Experience

Statistical Consultant, University of Texas at Austin (1999-present)
Responsibilities: Assist graduate student and faculty clients with grant applications, study design, measurement issues, basic and advanced data analysis, data presentation, and the writing of results; manage survey, program evaluation, and quality assessment projects; review in-house documentation on statistical programs; create and teach workshops and short courses on research methodology and various statistical software packages, including SAS, SPSS, and AMOS; write programs in SAS and SPSS. (From 1999-2004, statistical consultant for ITS Research Consulting; from 2004-2007, Manager of ITS Research Consulting; from 2007-present, Manager Consulting Services, Division of Statistics & Scientific Computation, College of Natural Sciences.)

Graduate Research Assistant for the PAIR Project (1996-2002)
Responsibilities: Trained undergraduate and incoming graduate students; supervised undergraduate research projects; served as the advisor for two undergraduate honors theses; created web-based documentation of PAIR measures and procedures; managed project databases; performed data cleaning and statistical analysis; wrote drafts of papers and exchanged critiques with other graduate students on my own and others' drafts; presented the results to audiences at academic journals, conferences, and other outlets.

Undergraduate Research Assistant for the PAIR Project (1995-1996)
Responsibilities: Scheduled interviews; conducted telephone divorce interviews; transcribed interviews; developed databases; created qualitative divorce case studies; created a codebook for the Project's divorce measures.

Graduate-Level Coursework (1996-2002)
Relevant graduate-level coursework in statistics and research methodology included: Fundamental Statistics, Survey Research Methods, Research Methods in Human Development, Correlation & Regression, Multivariate Methods, Evaluation Models, Hierarchial Linear Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling, and Analysis of Developmental Change. These courses provided me a thorough familiarity with a variety of multivariate models, including ANOVA, ANCOVA, and MANOVA; multiple regression and structural equation modeling; factor analysis; cluster analysis; and multilevel modeling and growth curve analysis. In addition, through my work at the statistical consulting office, I have become well-versed in a variety of statistical software packages (including SPSS, SAS, AMOS, and HLM), and have worked with analyses ranging from simple graphical tools to complex inferential statistics (e.g., models including categorical or poisson-distributed dependent variables). Professional development courses I've taken in this area are: 1999 Summer Institute on Longitudinal Methods: Structural Equation Modeling (Center for the Study of Prevention through Innovative Methodology, The Pennsylvania State University), Mixed Models Analyses Using the SAS System (SAS Institute), SAS Macro Language (SAS Institute), Hierarchical Linear Modeling II: Advanced Topics (ICSPR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research), and Statistical Analysis with Latent Variables (free online course, University of California Los Angeles).

Teaching Experience

Instructor, SW360K: Experimental Design (Spring 2008)
Responsibilities: Prepare and deliver all lectures; grade written work; assist students.

Instructor, NSC109: Introduction to SPSS (Fall 2007)
Responsibilities: Prepare and deliver all lectures; grade homework and exams; assist students.

Instructor, SW318: Social Work Statistics (Fall 2002)
Responsibilities: Prepare and deliver all lectures; grade homework and exams; assist students.

Instructor, CD304: Family Relationships (Spring 1999 and Summer 1999)
Responsibilities: Select textbook and readings for the course; organize class structure and readings; construct assignments and exams; grade homework, compositions, and exams; prepare and deliver all lectures; facilitate class discussion; assist students.

Teaching Assistant, HE322: Personal and Family Finance (Fall 1998)
Responsibilities: assist students, grade homework, help construct exams.

Teaching Assistant, TC 357: Courtship, Marriage, and Divorce (Spring 1998)
Responsibilities: assist students, assist in lecture, update web site, grade compositions.

Teaching Assistant, CD333L: Research Methods in Child Development and Family Relationships (Fall 1997)
Responsibilities: assist students; grade homework, compositions, and tests; conduct review sessions.

Graduate-Level Coursework & Professional Development Courses
Feeling that interpersonal communication is the key to successful teaching, consulting, and business negotiation, I've taken several courses in this area, including:

Publications

Spence, R., Wallisch, L., & Smith, S. E. (2007). Treatment seeking in Hispanic populations in urban and rural settings on the border. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 31, pp. 1002-1011.

Steinhardt, M., Dolbier, C., & Smith, S. E. (2007). Relationships of protective factors to stress and symptoms of illness. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31, pp. 423-433.

Smith, S. E., & Huston, T. L. (2004). How and why marriages change over time: Shifting patterns of companionship and partnership. In R. D. Conger, F. O. Lorenz, & K. A. S. Wickrama (Eds.), Continuity and Change in Family Relations: Theory, Methods, and Empirical Findings, pp. 145 - 180. Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ.

Huston, T. L., Niehuis, S., & Smith, S. E. (2001). Courtship and the newlywed years: What they tell us about the future of a marriage. Revista de Psicologia Social y Personalidad, 17.

Huston, T. L., Niehuis, S., & Smith, S. E. (2001). The early marital roots of conjugal distress and divorce. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, 116-119.

Huston, T. L., Caughlin, J. P., Houts, R. M., Smith, S. E., & George, L. J. (2001). The connubial crucible: Newlywed years as predictors of marital delight, distress, and divorce. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 237-252.

Conference Presentations

Jaggars, D. E., Smith, S. E., & Duffy, J. S. (2007). Service priority alignment in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. Presented at the August 2007 Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Duffy, J. S., Jaggars, D. E., & Smith, S. E. (2006). Getting our priorities in order: Are our service values in line with the communities we serve? Presented at the September 2006 Library Assessment Conference, Charlottesville, VA. Published in the Proceedings of the Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment (2006). Francine DeFranco et al., Eds. (2007), ARL Publications, Annapolis Junction, MD.

Smith, S. E., & Watkins, G. M. (2006). If we build it and they come, how will we know if it worked?: Quantifying the success of a new learning commons. Presented at the February 2006 Educause Southwest Regional Conference, Austin, TX.

Smith, S. E. & McCoy, J. (2005). Organizational Intelligence for IT Services. Presented at the February 2005 Educause Southwest Regional Conference, Austin, TX.

Kerkhoff, J. & Smith, S. E. (2005). The Miro Quartet, Live and Virtual: A Case Study. Presented at the February 2005 Educause Southwest Regional Conference, Austin, TX.

Smith, S. E. & Bohman, T. (2003). Learning about your IT community through online surveys. Presented at the February 2003 Educause Southwest Regional Conference, Dallas, TX.

Smith, S. E. & Niehuis, S. (2002). A new research tool: Using the Internet to conduct research in the social sciences. Round table discussion at the November 2002 Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Houston, TX.

Smith, S. E. & Neilands, T. (2000). Drawing superior inferences in longitudinal research: An illustration of mixed models analysis. Presented at the October 2000 conference of the South Central SAS Users' Group, Austin, TX.

Smith, S. E. & Huston, T. L. (2000). Patterns of day-to-day satisfaction in marriage after thirteen years. Presented at the November 2000 Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, MN.

Smith, S. E. & Huston, T. L. (1999). Continuity and change among still-married couples. Presented at the November 1999 Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Irvine, CA.

Smith, S. E. & Huston, T. L. (1998). The developmental course of stable unhappy marriages. Presented at the November 1998 Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Milwaukee, WI.

Smith, S. E. & Huston, T. L. (1998). Dimensions of early marital satisfaction: paths to distress and divorce. Presented at the June 1998 International Conference on Personal Relationships, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Huston, T. L., Niehuis, S., & Smith, S.E. (1997). Divergent experiential and behavioral pathways leading to marital distress and divorce. Presented at the November 1997 Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Crystal City, VA.

Conference Workshops

Growth curve analysis: A comparison of three approaches (co-organized by, in alphabetical order, Miller, P. J., Niehuis, S., & Smith, S. E.). Half-day workshop presented at the Graduate Student Pre-Conference of the June 2000 International Conference on Personal Relationships, Brisbane, Australia. Organized in three sections:

Published Essays

Smith, S. E., & Rankin, C. T. (2002). Conferences: Why To Attend and How To Benefit. The Official News Journal of the Merged International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships and the International Network on Personal Relationships, 1(1).

Smith, S. E. (2001). The personal life of an academic. ISSPR Bulletin: The Official News Journal of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, 17(4).

Smith, S. E. (2001). On-line data collection techniques: A viable option? ISSPR Bulletin: The Official News Journal of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, 17(3).

Smith, S. E. (2000). New beginnings. ISSPR Bulletin: The Official News Journal of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, 17(2), 11-12.

Smith, S. E. (1997). The diversity challenge. ISSPR Bulletin: The Official News Journal of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, 14(1), 23-24.

Service

Board of Directors, Austin Shakespeare Festival (2007-present)
Responsibilities: As a board member of the Austin Shakespeare Festival, help guide the growth and development of the only professional classical theater company in the Central Texas area.

Program Committee Member, 2007 Educause Southwest Regional Conference (2006-2007)
Responsibilities: Work on conference theme and tracks (chair of Strategic Initiatives track), craft call for proposals, select proposals for presentation at the conference, recruit session conveners.

Co-Artistic Director, the Bedlam Faction (2001-present)
Serve as one of seven Co-Artistic Directors of the Bedlam Faction theatre company. Primary responsibilities: Collaborate with other company members on core company decisions and processes, including drafting and voting on bylaws, selecting productions for the season, and researching and applying for sources of funding; assist with production details such as holding auditions and callbacks, casting roles, and arranging rehearsal schedules; mediate interpersonal conflicts in the role of Company Facilitator.

ISSPR Board, Student Representative (2000-2002)
Responsibilities: Serve as the graduate student/new professional representative to the Board of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships; write two essays per year for the ISSPR Bulletin; review drafts of bylaws; vote on bylaws.

HDFS Search Committee (2001)
Responsibilities: Serve as the graduate students' representative on the Search Committee for a new Human Development and Family Science assistant professor, University of Texas at Austin.

HDFS Library Journal Subscription (1998-2000)
Responsibilities: Maintain journal subscription budget for the Department of Human Development and Family Science; catalog and organize journals as they come in.

Assistant to the HDFS Building Committee (1997)
Responsibilities: Create spreadsheets and other documents pertaining to space and budget decisions; assist faculty in creating guidelines for the new Human Development/Psychology Building.

Awards and Fellowships

1999-2000 University of Texas Continuing Fellowship
1998-1999 Bruton Fellowship, University of Texas
1996-1997 Cook Fellowship, Department of Human Ecology
1995 Ruth Adams Walters Scholarship, Shakespeare at Winedale
1994 Winds of Halifax Award, Shakespeare at Winedale
1992-1996 University of Texas supplement to the Merit Scholarship
1992-1996 Dedman National Merit Scholarship