In memory of Dr. Allen Smith
In a deeply saddening and surprising development, Dr. Allen Smith suffered a stroke
and passed away last week. He was a dedicated faculty member for 35 years at Florida
Atlantic University, and was teaching a class this summer. Paraphrasing the words
of one of his colleagues: Allen embodied the standard of a teacher / scholar / mentor; he was selfless in his
dedication to the success of his students.
After earning his doctoral degree from Texas Tech and spending two years at Iowa State University, Allen came to FAU in 1982. Among his many honors, Dr. Smith was a past president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Allen was a scholar, having written a textbook and a total of more than 30 grants and academic articles. He won multiple teaching awards, including the Stewart Distinguished Teacher Award, and this year, he was the Master-Teacher elect for the College of Business.
Allen contributed greatly to the growth and development of the College of Business, serving as Director of Masters programs and as Assistant Dean in the 1990s; he was a leader in establishing the weekend Executive MBA program. Dr. Smith was involved with the Undergraduate Research Initiative since its inception, and he was committed to the success of his students. For he and his family, this was a labor of love; his wife Christine volunteered with the OURI symposium, and his son Hunter was an award-winning participant!
Dr. Allen Smith and his students at the undergraduate research symposium
Dr. Allen Smith with his wife Christine and son Hunter
Allen took pride in actively engaging the business community in class projects so that his students could learn advertising principles and apply them to real-world situations; over his career he carried out more than 25 service learning projects. In addition to his current commitment to undergraduate research, Dr. Smith was a mentor and instructor for the Freshman Living Learning Community for the last ten years.
On a personal note, I will most miss Allen's cheerful, upbeat outlook. He was invariably positive, and always had a smile as we passed in the hallway. It is no wonder that he was a highly regarded professor -he cared about his students, and took the extra effort so that they would have a rewarding experience in his classes. They worked hard, learned a lot, and they appreciated him. Dr. Allen Smith leaves a wonderful legacy here at FAU. While we will miss him, we are grateful that he was our colleague.
The Allen E. Smith Memorial Fund has been established at the FAU College of Business to support Allen's passion for undergraduate student research. Contributions can be made payable to the "FAU Foundation - Allen E. Smith Memorial Fund" and sent to: 777 Glades Road, AD-10 Room 262, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Please contact Kerry Kruckel, College of Business Director of Development, if you have any questions: 561-297-4121 or click HERE to make a gift online (please type Allen E. Smith Memorial Fund in the Designation / Other field).
--- Dr. Daniel M. Gropper, Dean, College of Business