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Higher education is entering a new era; one shaped by global change, statewide, momentum, industry and societal shifts. Michael Smith's The Abundant University champions bold ideas for an evolving world of higher education. Join us as we examine what this transformation means for Utah and how UVU can seize the opportunities ahead to build a more abundant, inclusive, and future‑ready institution.
Michael D. Smith is the J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College where he co-directs the Initiative for Teaching and Education Analytics. He is the author of The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World, which received the 2025 MIT Press Alumni Book Award, the 2024 Frandson Award for Literature, and was named by Forbes as one of the “Best Higher Education Books” of 2023.
Professor Smith received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (summa cum laude) and a Master of Science in Telecommunications Science from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Management Science from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Dr. Smith will be joined by Dr. TJ Bliss, Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer for the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). Join us in exploring the future of higher education across the nation and in Utah, and what this means for UVU.
In addition to his role at USHE, Bliss is a clinical assistant professor in education leadership at the University of Idaho. Through previous senior leadership roles in higher education, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector, he has worked to increase access, affordability, and success for students throughout the world. Bliss is an internationally recognized researcher in open education and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Western Academic Leadership Forum. Bliss received a Ph.D in education research and B.S in microbiology from BYU and a M.S. in biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Have a question for Dr. Michael Smith? If time allows, we’ll be addressing previously submitted questions in the conversation.
