Rate My Professor Mitch Smith

Associate Professor Mitch Smith serves as Head of Exercise and Sport Science in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Human Movement Science (Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney, along with a Doctor of Health Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium. Smith's research specializes in mental fatigue, examining its effects on physical, cognitive, decision-making, and skilled performance in sports, with broader applications to industry and defence sectors. He co-founded the Fatigue Research and Assessment Group (FRAG), a multidisciplinary team leveraging expertise in clinical and performance physiology, psychology and neuroscience, motor control, and training program development to combat physical and mental fatigue. His fields of research encompass motor control (40%), sports science and exercise not elsewhere classified (50%), and exercise physiology (10%). Key publications include 'Mental fatigue and soccer: Current perspectives and future directions' (2017), 'Mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific skill performance' (2015), 'Mental Fatigue Impairs Tackling Technique in Amateur Rugby Union Players' (2023), 'Video-based technical feedback and instruction improves tackling technique of community rugby union players' (2023), and 'Exploring the Effects of Instruction and Game Design on Youth Soccer Players' Skill Involvement and Cooperative Team Behaviour' (2025).

Smith commenced his role as Lecturer in the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Newcastle in 2016, where he pioneered blended course formats and led discipline-wide transitions, earning recognition for teaching excellence. Prior to this, he worked as a Casual Academic in the School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism at the University of Technology Sydney from 2010 to 2015. His accolades include the 2022 Learning Design and Teaching Innovation Award, 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Teaching (Leadership) from the College of Engineering, Science and Environment, 2021 College of Engineering, Science and Environment Teaching Excellence Award, 2020 Faculty of Science Teaching Excellence Award, 2019 BOLD Team Award for Innovation in Course Development, 2019 DVC(A) Educator Innovation and Impact Award, and the 2016 Aspetar Excellence in Football Research Award from the European College of Sports Science. He was also a finalist for the 2024 University of Newcastle Excellence Awards in Community Engagement.