Director of University Assessment Services
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois, United States
Ryan Smith is the Director of University Assessment at Illinois State University. With working experience in both institutional research and assessment, he focuses on bridging the gap between data analytics and practice.
Ryan's current work utilizes his background in the arts by emphasizing the roles data storytelling and visualization in decision-making, helping institutions move beyond reporting to combining proxies and indirect measures with authethic measures of learning. Ryan’s research focuses on student success, the economic returns to education, and program evaluation, with particular attention to how student experiences, such as engagement and belonging, relate to long-term outcomes including career pathways and earnings.
Ryan currently serves as Co-Chair of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education Professional Development Committee, is a member of the Grand Challenges in Assessment Data Visualization team, and participates in the Postsecondary Education Outcomes (PSEO) Research Community of Practice. He is a three-time recipient of the Illinois Association for Institutional Research Best Presentation Award (most recently in 2026).
He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MSE in Education from Drake University, and a BA in Art History from University of Missouri.
Collaborative Storytelling with National Survey of Student Engagement Data
Thursday, May 28, 2026
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM East Coast USA Time