Lunch with Leadership
Paula Smith
Athletic Director
Monday, November 9, 2020 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Paula Smith is the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. She has 30 years of experience in college athletic administration.
Currently a member of the NCAA Division I Council and Competition Oversight Committee, she’s also active in campus entities such as the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, the Chancellor’s Advisory Council, and the Campus Ethics and Compliance Risk Committee. Recently she was elected to serve as an ex-officio trustee on the Foundation Board of Trustees.
Smith, who is the ninth athletic director in school history, is in her 15th year with the Anteaters and is a member of UCI Athletics’ senior management team. She also provides administrative supervision of UCI’s athletic program and its 18 intercollegiate athletic teams.
In addition to her UCI duties, Smith has served on several national committees such as the NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Committee from 2013 to 2017, the Minority Opportunity and Interest Committee, and the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet.