Catherine Smith
The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has appointed Professor Catherine Smith to the newly created post of associate dean of institutional diversity and inclusiveness.
The school believes this is one of the first, if not the first, such tenure-track posts at a U.S. law school.
Smith said her new role will include recruiting a broad range of both faculty and students and reaching into traditionally under-served segments of the community.
“Catherine is one of the most energetic and innovative people I have met,” said DU Law Dean Martin Katz said in a statement. “She is dedicated to inclusiveness in the truest sense: She works tirelessly in pursuit of this goal. She is a unifier, always focusing on the possible and on the positive.”
A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, Smith was an assistant professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University from 2000 to 2004 before coming to DU to teach torts and employment discrimination.
Smith said she plans to work with groups that have ties to minority communities with a goal of building a legal community that reflects Colorado’s diverse population.
“Catherine has a seemingly endless supply of good ideas. Having someone focused on these projects for the long haul is particularly important to their success. I am excited to work with her on these projects,” Katz said. “Given the Sturm College of Law’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness, it is particularly appropriate for us to do this here. We have the opportunity to be a national leader in this area.”
