Ken Smith, Ph.D., serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus. Prior to his appointment as COO, Smith worked in the provost’s office as vice provost for academic resource management and as an associate provost overseeing the budgetary and fiscal operations of the academic support units. Before coming to the provost’s office, Smith served as assistant director for budget operations in the Virginia Tech Office of Budget and Financial Planning and as a budget analyst in the Commerce, Resources and Trade section of the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. He began his career as a budget analyst in the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Smith holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. He earned both a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University.