Dr. Smith earned a Ph.D. from the State University of NewYork at Buffalo and an M.S. from Canisius College. Dr. Smith has a rich history of service to FIU, acting as the founding dean for the School of Public Affairs and Services, the founding chairperson for the School of Social Work and the assistant dean for the School of Health and Social Services.  In these capacities, Dr. Smith has played a major role in establishing and shaping the goals and objectives of several schools of study.

Dr. Smith’s research with neurologically impaired and autistic individuals led to her development of dolphin assisted therapy.  In recognition of her creation of this therapeutic modality, Dr. Smith was awarded a Best Social Inventions Award in 1990 from the Institute for Social Inventions, London, and was featured in the Rolex 1990 Awards for Enterprise

Although ethical considerations have caused Dr. Smith to suspend her research with captive dolphins, she continues investigation into the areas of animal and eco-therapies.  Dr. Smith currently teaches a graduate animal assisted treatment course that enrolls students from around the world.

Florida International University
School of Social Work
University Park Campus, ECS-478
11200 S. W. Eighth Street
Miami, FL 33199
Tel: (305) 348-3555
FAX: (305) 348-5313
E-mail: smithb@fiu.edu
 

Significant professional publications:

            Smith, Betsy A.  (1996).  Dolphin Assisted Therapy.  Tokyo: Kodansha Publishers.