Renee Smith-Maddox, Ph.D. is currently a clinical professor and diversity liaison for the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is also the chair of the school’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. She teaches online and on-ground courses in the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Social Work programs in areas such as social change and innovation, organizational development, Capstone Projects, and Integrated Residential Programs. Dr. Smith-Maddox co-chairs USC’s DEI Awareness Week, an annual professional learning event that provides 100 sessions focusing on a range of DEI-related topics to the USC campus community (including students, staff, faculty, and alumni).
As a DEI practitioner, Dr. Smith-Maddox’s extensive knowledge in designing and managing DEI initiatives is informed by her experience as a professional coach, an education analyst in the NYC Board of Education, an executive director of youth development and college access programs, and a teacher researcher with inquiry-based research projects in K-12 schools. 
In her capacity as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Smith-Maddox conducted the school’s climate study which included (co-designing the climate survey with the staff, students, and faculty). She also designed Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Learning Labs as problem-solving spaces for students, staff, and faculty to address implicit bias and microaggressions and reconceptualize a more diverse, just, inclusive, equitable classroom and work environment. 
At the university level, she has chaired the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, led the DEI strategic planning process for 23 academic units, and co-chaired the Academic Senate’s Campus Climate Committee. In reviewing the institutional commitment to diversity through hiring practices, Dr. Smith-Maddox has conducted document analyses of key indicators for studying the progress on diversifying the full-time faculty. In addition, she provided guidance and leadership for the review process of peer institutions engaged in DEI work to determine the type of infrastructure, resources, and programs that are in place to support DEI in higher education institutions.