Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama?s Capstone College of Nursing (UA?s CCN), where he co-leads their MSN Nurse Administration program.  He regularly teaches graduate courses related to leadership, healthcare management and finance, and health services delivery systems. Dr. Smith received his PhD in Health Services Administration, as well as his Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  He is also a registered nurse and completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Auburn University in Montgomery. Dr. Smith has published more than 10 manuscripts, as well as a book chapter, and has presented at numerous national and international conferences.  He has several research interests, including rural healthcare delivery systems, mental health, leadership, health care administration and finance, and telemedicine. Dr. Smith has received federal funding from the National Institutes of Health for a research project related to mental health screenings in dental practices, as well as nearly $2M in funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for a rural, ambulance-based telemedicine project.