Peter Smith, Ed.D., whose distinguished career in higher education includes serving as founding president of California State University Monterey Bay and the Community College of Vermont, currently holds a five-year term as the Orkand Endowed Chair and Senior Advisor to the President at the University of Maryland Global Campus. (UMGC). Smith also served as Assistant Director General for Education for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in Paris, France and as state senator (1980-82), Lt. Governor (1982-86) and Congressman (1989-1990) for Vermont.

His latest book, Stories From the Educational Underground: The New Frontier for Learning and Work (Kendall Hunt, August, 2021: https://he.kendallhunt.com/smith_underground) addresses directly the need to recognize and affirm the talent of millions of Americans that is currently ignored by most higher education institutions and many employers.