Dr. Jane Graves Smith, Professor of Psychology, joined the faculty at Concordia University in 1992. She received her M.A. in Counseling from Whitworth College and began her service at C.U. in the Counseling Center. In 2005, Jane completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction at Portland State University. With a year spent at a Title I school in Vancouver, Washington collecting data, her dissertation was completed and titled Parental Involvement in a Low-Income School: A Case Study. If interested in learning more about her research, you can find some of her presentations and publications on her Faculty Research Page.
In 1996, with input from community professionals and local academics, Jane was entrusted with the task of creating an undergraduate degree in psychology and beginning to build the psychology department. Throughout this time Jane has consistently served as the Professor for the Psychology Internship course and enjoys the opportunity to support students as they volunteer outside of CU. Serving here for many years has given her the opportunity to see many, many psychology Graduates go on to serve their communities in amazing ways.
In 2014, Jane was invited to serve as the advisor for the CU People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, and Equity Club (P.R.I.D.E.) and continues to hold this honor sharing it with Dr. Reed Mueller.
Jane has been married to Glenn for 37 years and is grateful for time with family. Her children, Carlee and Dylan are grown and she particularly loves time with her grandsons, Logan and Caleb. Hobbies include hiking, practicing yoga, and reading. Jane also loves teaching and continues to learn a great deal from each new group of students.