DECATUR, Ill. – Dr. Andrew Smith has been named Millikin University's Dean of the College of Professional Studies (CPS), effective July 1. Smith oversees the college’s three schools: Exercise Science & Sport, Nursing, and Education.
Smith replaces Dr. Elizabeth Gephart, who was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies in July 2023. Gephart will return to teaching in the School of Nursing.
“It's been a really easy transition, and Elizabeth set things up to move smoothly, and I know she's excited to get back to the faculty. All of the directors and faculty members in Professional Studies have also been very positive about their programs, and you can tell that they all care about their students,” Smith said. “I think we have a perfect balance at Millikin. Millikin has a history of being a liberal arts, fine arts, and performing arts university, and we also have really strong professional programs. Particularly in CPS, they are helping professions. They are nurses, teachers, trainers, and it’s important to highlight their work.”
The College’s three directors – Director of the School of Nursing Dr. Teresa Gulley, Director of the School of Education Dr. Chris Cunnings, and Director of the School of Exercise Science & Sport Dr. Barbara Broadbear — will continue in their positions under Smith.
“It has been fun to start doing one-on-ones and get into the buildings a little more. Nursing has its new building (the Health Sciences Center) and its new simulators. Exercise Science also has some new cutting-edge equipment, which is super attractive to prospective students,” Smith said. “In Education, Millikin is being held up as one of the examples of great work integrating and aligning new standards from the Illinois State Board of Education, not just in sporadic courses, but threading it through the entire experience.”
Smith holds a Ph.D. in History from Purdue University and comes to Millikin from Marietta College, located in Marietta, Ohio, where he was Assistant Dean of Outcomes Data & Accreditation, and Instructor in the Education Department. Prior to that, he was Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Nichols College, in Massachusetts, where he authored a book on the legendary boxer George Foreman, titled “No Way But to Fight: George Forman and the Business of Boxing,” published by the University of Texas Press.
“What I love about boxing, even though the sport is broken, is that it's such a great window into American society. Boxing is a one-off event, so it has to be promoted and sold individually. If you go back over time, boxing promoters would pick up anything that they think will draw interest. A racial rivalry, an ethnic rivalry, or anything they thought would sell tickets. It became an interesting way to look back and see what was important to Americans at different times,” he said. “(For the book,) I talked with George weekly for a few months and discussed his whole life story, not just what he did as a professional athlete, but all the stuff he did after by selling things and promoting himself.”
Before joining Millikin’s administration, Smith was familiar with Millikin and its history, as his wife, Dr. Erika Cornelius Smith, is a Millikin graduate from the Class of 2005. She also earned a Ph.D. in History from Purdue University and recently joined Millikin’s Alumni & Development staff as the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement.
“I had heard about Millikin and talked a lot about it, but we had not had a specific reason to get to Decatur since we met. My campus visit during my interview was my first time on campus, and it definitely met expectations,” Andrew Smith said. “It is a beautiful campus. It's anchored by some historic buildings, but there are new projects popping up, too. You can see the presence of the arts, but I love the growing presence of business and professional programs. I think having a strong diversity of programs is important to a healthy future in higher education.”
Smith’s initial goals include promoting new programs, such as the Master of Science in Athletic Training and Doctor of Nursing Practice Completion in Leadership Program, as well as growing the local partnerships that are crucial to CPS students and faculty.
“The Athletic Training program meets new national standards and is a super dynamic and interesting field. It's a great outlet for student-athletes who want to continue their athletic careers to see the other side of competition,” he said. “We also want to keep up our partnerships with local schools and medical centers in and around Decatur and the Chicagoland area. Especially for students from that area, who want to return home when they're finished and give back to those communities.”
