Rate My Professor Sean Smith

Sean Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas, where he has held faculty positions since 1999. He advanced from Assistant Professor (1999–2005) to Associate Professor (2005–2015) and Professor (2015–present). Prior to joining KU, he served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Intervention Services at Bowling Green State University (1997–1999). Smith also holds the role of Associate Researcher at the Center for Research on Learning at KU since 2006. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Virginia (1997), an M.Ed. in Special Education Technology from George Mason University (1994), and a B.A. in History and Secondary Education from Providence College (1988).

Dr. Smith's research focuses on innovations and technology solutions to support struggling learners and individuals with disabilities, with particular emphasis on interventions aligned with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. As Principal Investigator, he leads federally funded projects, including explorations of virtual reality's impact on social emotional development, AI-boosted writing programs like Project WRITE, and virtual reality systems such as AViSSS for students with autism spectrum disorder to improve social skills. He has authored over 100 books, articles, and chapters, including "Formative Assessments in Today’s Digital Learning Environment: WRITE PM for Middle School" with Rowland and Lowrey (Teaching Exceptional Children, 2023), "Comparing immersive VR and non-immersive VR on social skill acquisition for students in middle school with ASD" with Carreon et al. (Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 2023), and "Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for alignment in K-12 blended and fully online learning" with Basham and Satter (Journal of Special Education Technology, 2016). Smith has secured and managed over $25 million in external research and development funds and delivered hundreds of scholarly presentations nationally and internationally. He previously served as Past-President of the Innovations in Special Education Technology (ISET) division of the Council for Exceptional Children, holds a board position with the National Down Syndrome Congress, and acts as Associate Editor for Teaching Exceptional Children, with prior service as Associate Editor for the Journal of Special Education Technology. He contributes to various boards for journals, organizations, and parent groups aimed at enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities.