UAPB Appoints Kristi Smith Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

Smith brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education advancement, alumni engagement and fundraising to the role, effective Nov. 9, 2026.

PINE BLUFF, Ark., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Chancellor Anthony Graham has appointed Kristi L. Smith vice chancellor for institutional advancement, effective Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.

As vice chancellor, Smith will serve as UAPB's chief advancement officer and a member of the Chancellor's Executive Cabinet, leading fundraising and development, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, advancement services, and donor stewardship, along with the university's relationship with the UAPB Foundation.

"Kristi's extensive experience in advancement, knowledge of Arkansas's philanthropic landscape, and demonstrated ability to build meaningful relationships will be tremendous assets to our university," Graham said. "I look forward to working with her as we build the partnerships and philanthropic support necessary to advance UAPB's mission and our aspiration for national preeminence."

Smith currently serves as associate vice chancellor for alumni and development at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she leads alumni engagement, annual giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations. She also manages relationships with major gift prospects and donors and serves as a liaison to key volunteer leadership boards, including the Foundation Fund Board and Alumni Board of Directors.

Smith has played a leadership role in UA Little Rock's $250 million Centennial Campaign, which has raised more than $248 million toward its goal. During her tenure, she helped strengthen philanthropic and alumni engagement across the institution, including leading the university's Campus Campaign, which has increased faculty and staff giving participation by 15 percent since 2020. She also helped advance Taste of Little Rock, an alumni and community engagement initiative that has generated more than $1 million for student scholarships.

Before becoming associate vice chancellor in 2022, Smith served as UA Little Rock's senior director of alumni and development and senior director of development. Her accomplishments include securing a $600,000 gift from the Crankstart Foundation for student scholarships and supporting the cultivation and stewardship of significant philanthropic investments, including activities surrounding a transformational $10 million gift from the Donaghey Foundation.

Smith's professional experience extends beyond institutional advancement. Before returning to UA Little Rock in 2016, she spent nine years at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, where she was recognized among the company's top-performing sales professionals nationally. Earlier in her career, she served as administrative director of education in the Department of Pathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and held positions within the Graduate School at UA Little Rock.

Smith earned her Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXVI and serves on the Leadership Greater Little Rock Alumni Board and the LifeTouch Health Governance Board. She was named one of Little Rock Soirée's 2022 Women to Watch.

A high-resolution photo of Smith is available upon request.

About the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is an 1890 Land-Grant HBCU with a diverse student population, competitive degree offerings and stellar faculty. For more than 150 years, UAPB has worked to create an environment that emphasizes learning, growth and productivity while affording a basic need to its students: a chance to advance. UAPB offers certificate and associate degree programs, more than 50 undergraduate and master's degree programs and a doctoral program in Aquaculture/Fisheries. Students are active in more than 100 organizations, including an internationally renowned Vesper Choir, Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South Band, Concert Bands, Wind Symphony, and an accomplished National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletics program. 

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SOURCE University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff