Kali Wright-Smith

Director of the First Year Experience/Associate Professor of Political Science

WH 221

Department(s): Academic Affairs

Biography:

Scholarly/Professional Highlights
Dr. Wright-Smith became interested in human rights and Latin American politics during her undergraduate work at Westminster and continued to pursue research in these fields during her graduate work. Her dissertation, "The Decision to Comply: Patterns of Compliance with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights," analyzes the political decisions of several Latin American countries. It investigates their willingness to comply with international court judgments and repair past human rights abuses committed against their citizens. She received a 2010-2011 Purdue Research Foundation Grant to complete her dissertation. Her research was named the 2012 Best Dissertation in the field of human rights by the American Political Science Association.

Dr. Wright-Smith's research also examines international law and organizations, U.S. human rights policy, and human rights activism. She has presented her work at a number of national conferences in Political Science and International Studies. She regularly teaches classes in International Relations, Comparative Politics, Women's Studies, and the Westminster Honors Program, and she has led study abroad trips to Argentina.
Dr. Wright-Smith has received the Buschman Dean’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Award and was recognized for her academic advising with the Buschman Award for Inspiring Service.
In 2018, Dr. Wright-Smith assumed the position of Director of the First Year Experience, and she is thrilled to work with first-year students and to help develop engaging first year programs.

Other Administrative Positions
Co-Director, Remley Women and Gender Center

Education
Ph.D. from Purdue University (2011)
M.A. from Loyola University Chicago (2006)
B.A. from Westminster College (2004)

Background
Dr. Wright-Smith joined the Westminster faculty in 2013. Before arriving at Westminster, she was an Assistant Professor at Georgetown College in Kentucky and an instructor at Purdue University. Dr. Wright-Smith is a native of Festus, MO. She is one of five Westminster graduates in her family and is delighted to be at a school that has played such a meaningful part in her life.

Personal Information
Dr. Wright-Smith lives in Columbia with her husband Ryan (a 2006 Westminster graduate and Westminster staff member), their daughter Edie, and their dog Winston. She is an avid movie-goer and loves reading about pop culture, exploring new places, and watching St. Louis Blues hockey.