UF Political Scientist Wins National Career Award

Daniel A. Smith, a University of Florida political scientist, received the 2026 Career Achievement Award from the State Politics and Policy Section of the American Political Science Association. The organization recognized Smith for making "a significant lifetime contribution to the study of politics and policy in the American states." He accepted the honor in June at the State Politics and Policy Conference in Chicago.

Smith, a professor in UF's Department of Political Science, has published more than 100 scholarly articles, chapters and reports on voting rights, elections, direct democracy and state politics. His research examines how political institutions shape political behavior and participation.

Smith served as chair of the Political Science Department from 2017 to 2024 and previously led the APSA State Politics and Policy Section. He has testified as an expert witness in voting rights litigation across Florida and the country, focusing on ballot initiatives, election administration, redistricting and voting laws.

Smith joined UF in 2003. He earned his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and previously served as a senior Fulbright scholar at the University of Ghana.