Smith tapped as interim RCU leader at Mississippi State

Contact: Carl Smith

Betsey Smith (Photo by Russ Houston)

STARKVILLE, Miss. — A 10-year veteran of Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit now leads the organization on an interim basis.

Betsey Smith, the RCU’s associate director, is serving in the role of Director Julie Jordan, who recently was named interim associate vice president for international programs and interim executive director of MSU’s International Institute.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead the RCU and continue the work and projects set in motion by Dr. Jordan,” Smith said. “The RCU remains committed to improving educational opportunities for students, teachers and administrators alike in Mississippi.”

Smith joined the RCU in 2007 as an instructional design specialist for the family and consumer science pathway and later helped develop Mississippi’s teacher academy curriculum.

In 2014, she was named associate director and placed in charge of all secondary curricula processes and career and technical education-related projects.

Smith, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in education and school counseling from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Before joining the RCU, she taught CTE classes in Louisiana for nearly a decade.

Founded in 1965, the RCU contributes to MSU’s mission as a land-grant institution bettering the lives of Mississippians through improving education. The organization benefits K-12 and higher education by developing curricula and assessments; providing training and development for teachers; researching and evaluating programs; supporting and promoting CTE initiatives; and leading educational innovations.

For more information about the RCU, visit rcu.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu