MSU Bagley College of Engineering names associate dean for research and engagement
Contact: Camille Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering is naming Adam Smith, a seasoned higher education leader with more than 13 years of academic experience, as its new associate dean for research and engagement.
Smith joins MSU from the University of Mississippi, where he serves as associate dean of undergraduate programs and as a biomedical and chemical engineering professor.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Smith is joining us in this role. He has a record of success in building research teams at various levels, including programs spanning the state of Mississippi, and an expansive vision for engaging industry partners,” Dean Dave Ford said. “He is the right person to guide Bagley into a new era of academic research.”
When he assumes the role July 1, Smith will lead the college’s research initiatives and expand partnerships with private sector organizations.
“I’m excited to join Mississippi State and the Bagley College of Engineering and look forward to working alongside its outstanding faculty and staff,” Smith said. “I’m eager to build on the college’s strong research foundation while expanding meaningful partnerships with industry, and I’m hopeful our efforts will create new opportunities for innovation, collaboration and impact.”
Smith earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from UM in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and later completed his doctoral degree in polymer science and engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi. Throughout his career, he has received multiple honors, including the UM faculty awards for service, research and teaching.
His research focuses on designing stimuli-responsive block copolymers using controlled polymerization techniques to precisely tune their structure and function. These polymers are engineered to respond to environmental triggers, such as pH, temperature or enzymes, and self-assemble into nanostructures for biomedical applications. By optimizing their stability, his work advances targeted drug and gene delivery systems that improve treatment effectiveness and reduce side effects, with potential applications in diseases including cancer.
The Bagley College of Engineering is online at www.bagley.msstate.edu and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube at @msuengineering.
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