Aisha-Amina Smiley
- DSW, LSW
- BSW Program Director, IU Fort Wayne / Clinical Assistant Professor
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IU Fort Wayne
Contact
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(260) 257-6782
- aismiley@iu.edu
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Neff 134
2101 E. Coliseum Boulevard
About
Over 20 years experience working in the field of Social Work in areas of Children, Youth, and Families, Reproductive and Maternal Health, HIV/AIDS, Community Mental Health, Nutrition and Wellness, Trauma, Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and Leadership
Education
MSW
Emphasis/Major: Master of Social Work2014 - University of New England
BSW
Emphasis/Major: Bachelor Social Work2004 - University of St. Francis
DSW, Doctor of Social Work
Emphasis/Major: Social Work2023 - Tulane University
Dissertation: An Ethnographic Narrative: The Necessity of BIPOC Representation in Addressing Health Disparities Through Schools of Health Education
Research Interests
Diversity, Trauma, Belonging, Post Traumatic Growth, Intersectionality related to gender, race, and trauma, the ethnic family, and the impact of health disparities
Teaching Interests
Children Youth and Families, Women, Diverse clinical and cultural practice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Social Work Field and Practice, Social Work Ethics, Spirituality, Intersectionality related to Race and Trauma
Awards and Honors
- 2024 IU Building Bridges Award
2024 - Indiana University
Publications
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Smiley, A.-A. L. An Ethnographic Narrative: The Necessity of BIPOC Representation in Addressing Health Disparities Through Schools of Health Education. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping. Accepted.
This reflection is an ethnographic account of the valuable and necessary contributions of BIPOC students and faculty of schools and programs of health education (i.e., social work, medicine, public health, nursing, dentistry) in disrupting health disparities. This narrative resolves that it is not the sole responsibility of BIPOC students, faculty, and practitioners of health to impart these disruptions especially while experiencing them, but for all health providers and educators to understand and value the importance of diverse influences on health equity for our diverse communities. Personal reflections substantiate the importance of narratives as a tool to convey meaning to research and the contextual history explanations provided by Critical Race Theory, the connection to social work perspective, the need to require trauma informed practices to describe and address the painful complexities at the intersectional roots of race, culture, education, health, structural and institutional racism.
Contract Fellowship Grants
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IU Fort Wayne Multicultural Health Careers – I am Health Care (IMHC) Roundtable.
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Aisha-Amina Smiley -
IUFW Intergenerational and Multicultural Health Careers (IMHC - “I am Healthcare”) Roundtable(s)
Co-PD/PI: Aisha-Amina Smiley
Co-PD/PI: Jake Huffman
Institutional Services
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Committee Member
2021 - Chancellor's Diversity Cabinet -
Committee Member
2021 - IUPUI Antiracist, Practices, Policies, and Procedures -
Committee Chair
2022 - IUSSW BSW CommitteeServed one year term as Chair of BSW Committee -
Faculty Governance
2020 - IU Fort Wayne Faculty CouncilServed a two year term as President for faculty governance -
Committee Member
2019 - IUSSW BSW Admissions CommitteeServe as an admissions committee member to review and admit BSW students. -
Committee Member
2018 - IUSSW Strategic Planning CommitteeServe as active member of the strategic planning committee. -
Committee Member
2017 - IUSSW Faculty SenateServe as voting member of IUSSW Faculty Senate -
Committee Member
2017 - IUSSW MSW Curriculum CommitteeServe as faculty member of MSW Curriculum Committee -
Committee Member
2017 - IUSSW System Wide Field -
Committee Member
2019 - IUSSW Scholarship CommitteeReview and recommend applicants to receive yearly IUSSW scholarship funds. -
Committee Member
2022 - Campus Orientation and Membership Team (COMP)Provide support in identifying orientation and other onboarding needs for new faculty of IUFW and PFW New Faculty Institute -
Committee Member
2022 - IUFW Vice Chancellor & Dean Executive Leadership Team -
Committee Chair
2022 - Fort Wayne Diversity Equity and Inclusion ScholarshipServe as Chair to application review for BSW scholarship -
Committee Member
2019 - IUSSW BSW CommitteeServe as a member of the BSW committee -
Committee Member
2018 - IUSSW Fort Wayne Advisory CommitteeServe as a faculty member on the advisory committee -
Committee Member
2018 - IUSSW MSW Admissions CommitteeServe as an admissions committee member to review and admit MSW students. -
Committee Member
2020 - IUSSW Diversity Strategic Plan Committee
Licensure
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Licensed Social Worker
Indiana Professional Licensing AgencyLicensed Social Worker
Public Services
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Other
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Officer - Vice President
2024 to 2026 - Drug and Alcohol Consortium - DACServing as the elected Vice President from 1/2024-12/2026
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Board Member
2022 to Present - Ivy Tech Human Service Program Advisory Board -
Board of Directors
2020 to 2023 - Community Health Foundation - Community Health Collaboration Advisory Board -
Board of Directors
2020 to 2023 - Drug and Alcohol Consortium - DACServing as a board member January 2020 - 2023
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Other
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Officer - Correspondence Secretary and Committee Chairs
2020 to Present - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. -
Board Member
2020 to Present - Character and Skills Basketball -
Board of Directors
2019 to Present - Alive Community OutreachServe as board member for community outreach program service victims and survivors of community violence.
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Board of Directors
2018 to 2021 - YMCAServe as Board Member and Secretary for Jackson Lehman YMCA, Fort Wayne Indiana
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Volunteer
2017 to Present - Youth for Christ - City Life
Trainings
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Sonder Fellowship
2023 to 2023 - Foellinger Foundation, Fort Wayne, IN, United StatesThe Sonder Fellowship is a leadership training program for BIPOC leaders, by BIPOC leaders, that are living, working, or serving in Southeast Fort Wayne. The program combines individual leadership development with asset-based community development (ABCD) to support opportunities that position the southeast quadrant of Fort Wayne to thrive.
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Next Gen 2.0
2023 to 2024 - IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, United States
The IUPUI Next Generation 2.0 program is a 9-month (September-May) leadership development program dedicated to the preparation of historically underrepresented faculty and staff for positions of leadership and opportunities for advancement in higher education. Next Gen 2.0 serves as a pathway to institutional leadership opportunities as it seeks to address the need for succession planning and for increasing diverse representation among administrative ranks. Program participants are identified as both emerging and established leaders interested in seeking leadership opportunities at IUPUI or professional development to enhance their current administrative roles. The curriculum is designed to broaden their knowledge, skills, and experiences as members of the higher education community. -
Early Career Teaching Academy
2019 to 2020 - IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesThe Early Career Teaching Academy (ECTA) provides the setting within which faculty members can develop themselves into powerful teachers who are rooted in a commitment to student learning and success through evidence-based and DEI-informed teaching strategies and in the development of a reflective and distinctive teaching practice. Faculty who thrive as Early Career Teaching Academy Fellows are in a position to play a leading role in efforts to develop a community of evidence-based teaching practitioners within departments and schools at IUPUI, to develop, articulate, and promote teaching successes, and to serve as teaching mentors for colleagues.