Michael D. Smith (computer scientist)
{{Short description|American computer scientist}}
{{Other people|Michael Smith}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Michael D. Smith
| education = {{ubl|Princeton University (BS)|Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MS)|Stanford University (PhD)}}
| thesis_title = Support for Speculative Execution in High-Performance Processors
| thesis_year = 1992
| doctoral_advisor = Mark Horowitz and Monica S. Lam
| website = {{url|https://scholar.harvard.edu/mikesmith}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office1 = Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
| term_start1 = July 2007
| term_end1 = August 2018
| predecessor1 = Jeremy R. Knowles
| successor1 = Claudine Gay
| office2 = Interim Dean of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
| predecessor2 = Francis J. Doyle III
| term_start2 = July 2023
}}
| thesis_url = http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/93/556/CSL-TR-93-556.pdf
| discipline = Computer scientist
| workplaces = Harvard University
| title = Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences
}}
Michael David Smith is a professor at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of Harvard University and has been serving as the school's interim dean since 2023.{{Cite web |last=Hamid |first=Rahem D. |last2=Schisgall |first2=Elias J. |date=May 30, 2023 |title=Michael Smith Returns To Administration As Interim SEAS Dean |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/5/30/michael-smith-interim-seas/ |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}} Smith's titles within Harvard include John H. Finley, Jr. Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Distinguished Service Professor.{{Cite web |title=Michael D. Smith |url=https://seas.harvard.edu/person/michael-smith |access-date=September 23, 2024 |publisher=Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences}} Smith's previous appointments as an academic administrator include service as dean of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Education
Smith graduated from the Peddie School in 1979.{{Cite web |title=Board of Trustees |url=https://peddie.org/about/mission-and-values/board-of-trustees/ |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website= |publisher=The Peddie School |language=en-US}} He received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University in 1983, his Master of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1985, and his Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1993.{{Cite web |title=Michael D. Smith |url=https://scholar.harvard.edu/mikesmith |access-date=September 23, 2024 |publisher=Harvard University |language=en}} His doctoral thesis, Support for Speculative Execution in High-Performance Processors, was published as a technical report in 1992; his advisor was Mark Horowitz, and additional advising was provided by Monica S. Lam.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Michael David |url=http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/93/556/CSL-TR-93-556.pdf |title=Support for Speculative Execution in High-Performance Processors |date=November 1992 |publisher=Stanford University |oclc=30100155}}
Career
From 1989 to 1992, Smith worked as a teaching and research assistant at Stanford University. He became an instructor at Harvard in 1992, received successive promotions, and taught the course CS50 from 2002 to 2006. In 2007, while serving as the associate dean for computer science and engineering, Smith was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, effective July 2007.{{Cite web |date=June 7, 2007 |title=Michael D. Smith named next dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/06/michael-d-smith-named-next-dean-of-the-faculty-of-arts-and-sciences/ |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=Harvard Gazette |language=en-US}} During his tenure as dean, he was described as taking a "hands-off approach" to a wave of cheating in CS50.{{Cite web |last=Karr |first=Mia C. |date=May 8, 2017 |title=With CS50 Cheating Cases, FAS Dean Taking Hands-Off Approach |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/5/8/smith-hands-off-cs50/ |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}} Smith was described in a 2013 feature in The Harvard Gazette as "a remarkably adept problem solver in navigating FAS through the financial crisis."{{Cite web |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas P. |date=October 3, 2013 |title=The Making of Harvard's Most Powerful Dean |url=https://features.thecrimson.com/2013/smith/ |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}} He announced that he was stepping down from the role in March 2018,{{Cite web |last=Marina N. |first=Bolotnikova |date=March 19, 2018 |title=FAS Dean Mike Smith to Step Down |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2018/03/fas-dean-mike-smith-to-step-down |access-date=October 12, 2024 |website=Harvard Magazine |language=en}} and served until August of that year. Smith was appointed to a new role in July 2023 as Interim Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.{{Cite web |last=Doan-Nguyen |first=Ryan |date=May 31, 2023 |title=President-elect Claudine Gay Announces Interim Deans |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2023/05/interim-deans-named |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=Harvard Magazine |language=en}} He also serves as a faculty athletics representative for the Harvard Crimson.{{Cite web |title=Michael D. Smith – Faculty Athletics Representative |url=https://gocrimson.com/staff-directory/864 |access-date=September 23, 2024 |publisher=Harvard University |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Harvard}}
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Category:American computer scientists
Category:Princeton University alumni
Category:Worcester Polytechnic Institute alumni
Category:Stanford University School of Engineering alumni
Category:Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences faculty
Category:Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences faculty