Some professors at Cabrini may see the school as just a learning facility, but Tamarah Smith, who has a doctorate in education psychology, of the sociology and criminology department calls Cabrini her home. Smith, Ph.D., began her journey into the field of impacting others here at Cabrini during her college days where she was a double major in psychology and sociology.
Her time as an undergraduate allowed her to think about the path that she wanted to go down after obtaining her diploma. Smith always had an interest in sociology and psychology, primarily with data and statistics but the question kept coming back to what to do with it. That was until she was in class one day and it just hit her. She wanted to be a teacher at Cabrini so she could impact people in the same way she was during her time as a student.
With the goal in mind, Smith continued her education after graduation and went on to receive not one, but two additional degrees. A master’s degree in applied statistics from West Chester University helped her earn a position at the University of Pennsylvania as a data analyst to the Vice Provost for University Life division. As impressive as it sounds, it was not her ultimate goal to be there and kept driving for what she was after. Luckily for her, fate came knocking on her door during her time at the University of Pennsylvania.
“While I was at the University of Pennsylvania, I got a call from Dr. McKinley about an open teaching slot,” Dr. Smith said. “It was definitely that moment I had been waiting for since I graduated.” McKinley is Kathleen McKinley, chair of the sociology department at Cabrini.
The time had come! Smith was hired as an adjunct faculty member in the sociology department and began teaching students about her passion.
This enthusiasm for psychology and sociology extended way past the classroom though. Smith has become a veteran at presenting for national conferences and has even been published in the 2009 American Psychology Association’s Amplifier regarding her work on the quality of research in news articles. At the upcoming Mid Atlantic Teaching of Psychology conference she is going to be accepted to present the results from her dissertation that earned her a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University this past April.
After five years of being an adjunct faculty member and numerous accomplishments under her belt, Smith has been promoted to a full-time teaching position and is more than ready to take it on this year. One of the big changes that she is excited about is being the adviser to Alpha Phi Sigma, the honor society that recognizes students who excel in criminology and social justice classes. Another new concept to her is that she now advises students in selecting classes and working through their college years.
Smith is a walking example of the phrase “hard work pays off.” She once sat in the classrooms of Founder’s Hall with a dream and knew that if she wanted it that badly, she had to chase it. After years of patience and studying, Smith is proud to say that she is back home.
“Cabrini is where I am supposed to be.”