Leadership

Shalayna Smith, Ph.D., P.E.

Director

Dr. Smith serves as Director of CASSMAR and Professor of Practice in the Department of Metallurgical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering at UTEP. In her academic role, she focuses on delivering practical, applied engineering experiences that connect classroom learning to real problems and real industry needs. She leads capstone projects and supports research efforts in the expanding space engineering/research landscape. Dr. Smith is also actively involved in workforce development and outreach initiatives aimed at strengthening student pathways into aerospace and materials science careers, including ongoing collaboration efforts with LANL, NASA & Amentum.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Smith is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and a Principal Engineer at Herrera, Stafford & Associates in El Paso, where she conducts failure analysis investigations, provides consulting support, and assists with litigation cases across multiple industries. Her engagement in both academia and industry allows her to maintain current engineering practice in the classroom while contributing practical expertise to the organizations she serves.