Rate My Professor Sean Smith

Sean J. Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. He earned a B.A. in History and Secondary Education from Providence College in 1988, a degree in Special Education Technology from George Mason University in 1994, and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Virginia in 1997. His first faculty position was at Arizona State University, after which he joined the University of Kansas, advancing to the rank of full professor. Smith's career encompasses extensive leadership in special education technology, including serving as Past-President of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Technology and Media (ISET), a member of the Board of Directors for the National Down Syndrome Congress, Associate Editor for Teaching Exceptional Children, and former Associate Editor for the Journal of Special Education Technology. He contributes to various boards for journals, organizations, and parent groups aimed at enhancing outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Smith's research specializations focus on innovations and technology solutions to support struggling learners and those with disabilities, particularly interventions aligned with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework. He is Principal Investigator on federally funded projects, such as one examining virtual reality's impact on social emotional development in struggling learners. His interests include online learning, personalized learning, data-driven decisions, virtual reality, technology implementation for autism and Down syndrome, and translating research to practice. Smith has authored over 100 books, articles, and papers, including 'Professional development with universal design for learning: Supporting teachers as learners to increase the implementation of UDL' (2022, Professional Development in Education), 'Critical considerations for teaching students with disabilities in online environments' (2014, Teaching Exceptional Children), 'Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for alignment in K-12 blended and fully online learning' (2016, Journal of Special Education Technology), and 'Technology use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to support employment activities: A single-subject design meta analysis' (2006, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation). His scholarship has received over 2,500 citations. Smith has delivered hundreds of national and international presentations and managed over $25 million in external research funding from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources.