In 2025, the Utah state legislature approved HB488, which requires the Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) at Utah Valley University to develop a continuing education and training program for state and local officials on federalism issues, organize an annual federalism conference, and conduct outreach with out-of-state actors. To fulfill these mandates, CCS created the Constitutional Federalism Initiative (CFI).
CFI works closely with the Utah Federalism Commission, its working group the National Federalism Initiative, and the Herbert Institute for Public Policy at UVU to fulfill these mandates.
Troy E. Smith is a professor of Constitutional Federalism and director of the Constitutional Federalism Initiative (CFI) at CCS, and a fellow at the Center for the Study of Federalism.
Read More
He is editor of the online Federalism in America: An Encyclopedia. His work has appeared in Publius: The Journal of Federalism; The Review of Politics; Congress & the Presidency; Thinking Skills & Creativity; and others. He received a Ph.D. in political science from the University at Albany and an M.A. from George Washington University.
Sheri Smederovac is the Program Manager for Utah Valley University’s Constitutional Federalism Initiative at the Center for Constitutional Studies.
Read More
She has extensive experience in higher education administration and in private industry. Sheri has held leadership roles in budget management, marketing, corporate relations, community engagement, and event coordination. She has served in UVU’s Office of the President and Office of the Provost, on numerous committees including the Presidential Transition Team, and she has been instrumental in planning and executing major university initiatives including the K–16 Alliance Counselor Conference. She holds a B.S. in Art & Design and an A.S. in Computer Science from UVU. She is recognized for her collaborative leadership, organizational expertise, and ability to build strong partnerships across education, government, and the community.
The Constitutional Federalism Initiative (CFI), housed in Utah Valley University’s Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) and in coordination with the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy, is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to advancing public officials’ understanding of the U.S. Constitution’s federal system and fostering interstate collaboration towards a robust, balanced, constitutional federalism.
