David Smith, sociology professor, has been named president-elect of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. His term as acting president of the 2,160 member organization will begin in August 2015 following one year of service as president-elect which officially begins August 16 at the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco. He has previously served as an elected member of the society’s board of directors (2003-06).

A specialist in international trade and global industrialization, Smith has conducted on-site research in South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. His recent research has focused on globalization and networks of “world cities," or large international hub cities important in the global economic system. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation and numerous UC entities including the UC Pacific Rim Research Program, UCI Academic Senate and UCI Center for the Study of Democracy. He is the author or editor of six books and numerous journal articles. From 1999-2002, he was editor of the journal Social Problems, and from 2005-08, he was co-editor of Contemporary Sociology. He is currently editor of the International Journal of Comparative Sociology.

Smith joined the UCI faculty in 1984. He has a bachelor’s in sociology and philosophy from the University of Rochester and a master’s and doctorate in sociology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

When he takes the reins as president, he will be the second current UCI faculty member to do so, following Valerie Jenness, UCI social ecology dean and criminology, law & society and sociology professor, who served as president from 2006-07.