NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The University of The Bahamas has appointed Dr. Craig A. Smith as Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, effective 1st August 2025.
In this academic leadership role, Dr. Smith will lead the advancement of liberal and fine arts education at UB, fostering a dynamic environment for scholarly excellence, creative expression, and interdisciplinary collaboration. His appointment is aligned with the University’s strategic priorities to expand academic excellence, support student success, and deepen the institution’s cultural and intellectual impact both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Smith brings to the position more than two decades of experience as an educator, researcher, and cultural leader. He currently serves as Associate Professor of English at the University of The Bahamas and has taught a broad range of courses including West Indian Literature, Postcolonial Literature, Gender and Literature, and Bahamian Oral Traditions. His scholarly work explores 20th-century African American and Anglophone Caribbean literature, cultural studies, and representations of Black masculinities in literature and popular culture.
A widely respected researcher, Dr. Smith’s articles have been published in The Journal of West Indian Literature, and his poetry appears in the anthology Caribbean Erotic: Poetry, Prose & Essays. He has presented at academic conferences in South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Jamaica, and other parts of the world, and his forthcoming article “From Sweetback to Baadasssss: (Re)modeling Black Masculinity” continues his critical contributions to the field.
Beyond the classroom and scholarly circles, Dr. Smith has been a powerful force in shaping UB’s cultural landscape. He co-founded the Critical Caribbean Symposium Series (2011), a platform for critical discourse and scholarly exchange; co-founded the Blue Flamingo Literary Festival (2015), celebrating Bahamian and Caribbean writers; and founded the UB Theatre Company (2019), a creative space dedicated to cultivating a vibrant performing arts culture at UB and within the wider community. His initiative Shakespeare Behind Bars, launched in 2018, brought literature to incarcerated men through a six-week programme at Fox Hill Prison.
Dr. Smith has also collaborated with cultural institutions such as the Island House Film Festival and the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, and currently serves as a co-host of University Drive on Guardian Radio. His career reflects a passionate commitment to inclusive education, artistic exploration, and the transformational power of the humanities.
Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He is also a yoga enthusiast and practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, demonstrating a holistic approach to personal and professional growth.
Dr. Smith’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the College of Liberal and Fine Arts as it continues to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and cultural engagement at the heart of the University’s academic mission.
