Renée Smith-Maddox

Dr. Renée Smith-Maddox teaches EDUC 517B Understanding the Social Context for Urban Schools, EDUC 519 Human Differences, and EDUC 569A Action Research in Education. Her passion to direct, support, and sustain social change initiatives has been shaped by her 20 years of experience in academia and the social sector. She draws upon her work with teacher inquiry groups and experience with coaching, program management, and service delivery systems to teach students enrolled in the MAT@USC program.

Her research and academic experiences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and the UCLA Bunche Center for African American Studies laid the foundation for her teaching at the graduate-level and interest in teacher development, culturally responsive teaching, and inquiry-based learning communities. She has extensive experience providing leadership and strategic advice to nonprofits on issues such as workforce readiness, college access, and fund development. In her private practice, Sirius Shifts, Dr. Smith-Maddox applies coaching strategies to her work with individuals and organizations to achieve specific goals and develop capacity-building competencies.

Dr. Smith-Maddox holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University The Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She has published several articles on a variety of education and social science topics and produced youth-centered multi-media and web-based projects for awareness campaigns, instructional purposes, and outreach efforts. Her research interests include capacity-building strategies and services in the social sector, talent development, and new media influences on social innovation.