OREM, UTAH, July 1, 2025 — Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) announced today the appointment of Dr. Troy Smith, professor of Constitutional Federalism at UVU, as the first director of the Constitutional Federalism Initiative (CFI), with Sheri Smederovac, formerly administrative assistant in UVU’s Academic Affairs student-success center, who will serve as program manager.

Smith will lead CFI in working with Utah’s new Federalism Commission (consisting of five members of the Utah Senate and nine members of the Utah House) to implement HB 488, passed in Utah’s 2025 legislative session. The bill mandated that the Center for Constitutional Studies collaborate with the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy to accomplish the following:

• Develop a continuing-education and training program for state and local government employees regarding federalism issues.
• Organize an annual federalism conference and study the creation of a state-led national federalism organization.
• Coordinate with the private sector to conduct outreach outside Utah.

“Having the Constitutional Federalism Initiative based at UVU is a tremendous asset to our university and the broader community,” said Dr. Wayne Vaught, provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs. “It positions UVU at the forefront of a national conversation on federalism, enhances our academic offerings and strengthens our partnerships with state leaders and institutions. Under Troy Smith’s leadership, CFI will not only elevate scholarly research but also provide practical training and outreach that empower public servants and citizens alike.”

A native of Twin Falls, Idaho, Smith began his tenure as CFI director in March 2025. Prior to this new role, Smith served as director of CCS’s Master of Arts in Constitutional Government, Civics & Law program, which he launched in 2024 and guided the first cohort of 19 graduate students from application to graduation this summer.

Smith is a fellow at the Center for the Study of Federalism and is editor of the online resource, Federalism in America: An Encyclopedia. He taught at Brigham Young University–Hawaii for 19 years as a professor of political science. 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 PhD in Political Science from the University at Albany (N.Y.) and an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University.

 “The Constitutional Federalism Initiative provides a unique opportunity to promote a balanced, robust federalism in Utah and across the country,” said Smith. “The problems plaguing America—polarization, populism, authoritarianism, excessive debt and others—won’t be resolved by a robust federal system alone, but they can be significantly mitigated. People and organizations are beginning to recognize that this is the change we need to make government more responsible and accountable to the people. The time is right for strengthening federalism, and I am excited to lead this new and important initiative.”

"I am thrilled to welcome Troy Smith as the inaugural head of the new Federalism Initiative at Utah Valley University,” said Rep. Ken Ivory, chair of the Utah Federalism Commission. “With his deep expertise in constitutional government, and most particularly an internationally recognized federalism expert, Professor Smith is uniquely equipped to lead the academic cornerstone of Utah’s National Federalism Initiative. This historic effort to restore a healthy state–federal governing partnership demands preciselythe kind of rigorous scholarship and principled leadership that Professor Smith brings."

About the UVU Center for Constitutional Studies

Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) is a nonpartisan academic institute that promotes the instruction, study, and research of constitutionalism.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, CCS examines important constitutional issues found at the intersections of political thought, public policy, religion, law, history, and economics. Its mandate is to equip a new generation of citizens and leaders with a broad understanding of the ideas and practices critical to preserving constitutional government, ordered liberty, and the rule of law. Learn more at https://www.uvu.edu/ccs/.