Curtis Smith

Curtis Smith

  • Assistant Professor Sociology, Sociology
  • Assistant Professor, Bentley University

Teaching Interests

Social Inequality; Homelessness; Border Studies; Immigration; Social Change.

Research Interests

Social Inequality; Homelessness; Border Studies; Immigration; Social Change.

Consulting/Practice Interests

RE!INSTITUTE™
Community Day Center of Waltham

Professional Memberships

  • Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction 2017-06-01 - Present
  • Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology 2014-04-01 - Present
  • Society for the Study of Social Problems 2013-01-01 - Present
  • American Sociological Association 2011-01-01 - Present
  • Populations Association of America 2014-01-01 - 2015-12-31
  • The Society for Applied Anthropology 2013-01-01 - 2014-12-31
  • Southwestern Social Sciences Association 2011-01-01 - 2014-12-31

    • Awards and Honors

  • "Outstanding Academic Title" distinction, The American Library Association's CHOICE 360 "editor's pick"
  • Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Faculty Award, Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center
  • Graduate Instructor of the Year 2017-2018, Utah State University
  • Graduate Instructor of the Year 2016-2017, Utah State University

    • Scholarly Contributions and Creative Productions

    Journal Articles

  • Smith, C., Bhaduri, M. (2025). A recipe for systems change: Predictive modeling and street-level bureaucracy among homeless services. Plos One, (20) 8 e0328822. (Link)
  • Smith, C., Bhaduri, M. (2024). Living among immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border: Community-based learning and the benefits evidenced through network science. Journal of Educational Impact, (1) 2 32-59. (Link)
  • Castañeda, E., Smith, C. (2023). Conducting Research with Marginalized Populations: Methodological, Ethical, and IRB Considerations. Journal of Applied Social Science, (17) Issue 1 (Link)
  • Castaneda, E., Smith, C. (2022). Conducting Research with Marginalized Populations: Methodological, Ethical, and IRB Considerations. Journal of Applied Social Sciences 21-Jan. (Link)
  • Smith, C., Castañeda, E. (2020). Sick enough? Mental illness and service eligibility for homeless individuals at the border. Social Sciences, (9) Issue 8 (Link)
  • Smith, C., Castañeda-Tinoco, E. (2019). Improving Homeless Point-In-Time Counts: Uncovering the Marginally Housed. Social Currents, (6) Issue 2 (Link)
  • Smith, C., Anderson, L. (2018). Fitting Stories: Outreach Worker Strategies for Housing Homeless Clients. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, (47) 5 535-550. (Link)
  • Roark, J., Lucero, J., Smith, C., Parker, D. (2017). Social Service Workers’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Fair Housing Laws. Journal of Social Service Research, (43) Issue 2 (Link)
  • Siordia, C., Smith, C., Castañeda-Tinoco, E. (2014). A Geographically-Aware Multilevel Analysis on the Association Between Atmospheric Temperature and the 'Emergency and Transitional Shelter Population. Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography (Link)
  • Castañeda, E., Klassen, J., Smith, C. (2014). Disparities in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Homeless Populations in the El Paso, TX region. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences (Link)
  • Mata, H., Flores, M., Castañeda, E., Medina-Jerez, W., Lachica, J., Smith, C., Olvera, H. (2013). Health, Hope, and Human Development: Building Capacity in Public Housing Communities on the US-Mexico Border. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (Link)
  • Smith, C., Castañeda, E., Heyman, J. (2012). The Homeless and Occupy El Paso: Creating Community among the 99%. Social Movement Studies, (11) Issue 3-4 (Link)
  • Garfield, M., Smith, C., Purao, S. Homeless returners: Who returns to shelter and why?. (In Progress)

    • Books

  • Smith, C. (2022). Homelessness and Housing Advocacy: The Role of Red-Tape Warriors Taylor and Francis (Link)
  • Smith, C. (). Between borders and the streets: People in search of home, belonging, and economic stability New York, NY: Routledge (Forthcoming)

    • Book Chapters

  • Smith, C., Anderson, L. (2019). Unearthing Aggressive Advocacy: Challenges and Strategies in Social Service Ethnography Ethnography Uncensored. University of California Press (Link)
  • Smith, C., Castañeda, E., Heyman, J. (2016). The homeless and occupy El Paso: Creating community among the 99% . Taylor and Francis Inc. (Link)

    • Digital and Electronic Media, Social Media, Blogs, Podcasts

  • Smith, C. 2025. "Addressing Homelessness Through Housing Solutions and Systemic Change"
  • Smith, C. 2020. "Speaking about Health Disparities — A teachable moment about structural racism"
  • Smith, C. 2020. "How to Support People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness"

    • Presentations

  • (2024). “Making "Taken For Granted" Racism Visible” Presented at the Bentley University MLK A day of Social Justice, Celebration, Listening, and Learning Waltham, MA
  • Smith, C. (2023). “Homelessness and housing advocacy: The role of red-tape warriors” Presented at the UMass Boston Invited Lecture Boston, MA
  • Smith, C. (2022). “Homelessness and housing advocacy: The role of red-tape warriors” Presented at the American Sociological Association American Sociological Association Annual Conference Los Angeles
  • Smith, C. (2019). “Aggressive Advocacy among Outreach Workers. Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology”
  • Smith, C. (2019). “Establishing Working Agreements with Landlords: Housing the Homeless” Presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Illuminating the SOCIAL in Social Problems NYC
  • Smith, C. (2018). “Translating Complexity Into Action” Presented at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology Annual meeting of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology Norfolk, VA

    • Service

    Service: Department

  • Mentor (Faculty) for Majors/Minors Fair 2022-11-06 - 2022-11-06
  • Mentor (Student) for Student Advisor in the Sociology Department 2021-01-01 - Present
  • Responsibe for deparmten minors for Minors Coordinator in the Sociology Department 2021-01-01 - Present
  • Mentor (Faculty) for Majors/Minors Fair 2019-04-13 - Present
  • Mentor (Faculty) for Bentley University's UXGA x GiveCard Hackathon 2019-04-06 - Present
  • Committee Chair for Committee on Assurance of Learning 2019-04-01 - Present

    • Service: Public

  • "Expert Witness" for Massachusetts Department of Health and Comunity Development 2020-09-01 - 2020-11-01

    • Service: Professional

  • Board of Directors for Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology 2017-10-07 - 2021-10-22

    • Service: University

  • Committee Member for Senate 2024-12-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for informal advisor (comittee officially declared in Jan 2025) 2023-10-01 - Present
  • Committee Member for Academic Integrity Committee 2024-04-01 - Present
  • Mentor (Faculty) for Improving Service Delivery for the Homeless with Analytics and Process Modeling -Community Engagement and Capacity Building.” National Science Foundation. Boston, Massachusetts.$140,421 2023-05-01 - 2024-08-31
  • Committee Member for Bentley's Health Thought Leadership Network 2023-02-06 - Present
  • Co-Facilitator for Service Learning and Civic Engagement 2023-03-11 - 2023-03-18
  • Committee Member for Bentley Learning and Teaching Council 2022-05-22 - Present
  • Committee Member for Racial Justice Task Force 2020-06-01 - Present
  • Mentor (Faculty) for Coordinated Community Response Team 2019-01-01 - Present
  • Mentor (Faculty) for Service Learning and Civic Engagement 2018-08-25 - Present
  • Committee Member for Valente Center 2018-09-10 - 2019-05-01
  • Attendee for Social In/Justice 2019 Research Colloquium 2019-04-04 - 2019-04-04
  • Event Participant for Majors/Minors Fair - Present