B.A.
Duke University, 1997
m.A.
Rutgers University–New Brunswick, 2000
Ph.D.
Rutgers University–New Brunswick, 2005
About
Nicole D. Smith, Ph.D., is a specialist in late medieval literature, with particular interest in Chaucer, vernacular guides of pastoral care, and material culture. A joyful and optimistic leader of the largest college at Valpo, she guides a diverse academic community, stewards both people and resources, and sets a strategic vision for the college’s future. Her “Learner,” “Responsibility,” and “Strategic” strengths equip her to grow in her understanding of her college’s many disciplines, to follow through faithfully on the commitments she makes to faculty and students, and to chart a thoughtful and forward looking path for the College of Arts and Sciences. She leads with compassion and care, seeing each decision as an opportunity to build lives for good.
An award winning teacher, Dean Smith is inspired by enthusiastic students and intrigued by strange texts. She has published the definitive scholarly edition of A Christian Mannes Bileeve, a fourteenth century explanation of the Apostles’ Creed (2021), and her monograph, Sartorial Strategies: Outfitting Aristocrats and Fashioning Conduct in Late Medieval Literature (2012), examines the connection between dress, romance, and moral behavior in medieval vernacular texts and their figurations of fashionable aristocrats. Additional publications include essays in Leeds Medieval Studies, the Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Notes & Queries, Studies in the Age of Chaucer, and Medium Ævum.
