Joseph (Joe) M. Smith

Joe is the Director of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and manages the daily operations of the Human Research Protection Office.  Joe is lifelong resident of Maryland and a graduate of UMBC having earned his BA in Psychology and his MA in Applied Professional Ethics.  Joe also completed a minor in Philosophy. Prior to arriving at the University of Maryland College Park campus in 2009, he served as a Human Research Protections Analyst at the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine (2003-2009).

Joe is a Certified IRB Manager (CIM) and Certified IRB Professional (CIP). He received the 2013 Outstanding Staff Award from the UMD Division of Research and received an Honorable Mention for the 2014 Board of Regents Staff Award for Outstanding Public Service to the University or Greater Community.

In 2018, Joe led the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) accreditation process as well as the 2021 (and beyond) re-accreditation processes for the UMD HRPP.

Joe attends and presents at national and local training sessions and conferences focused on human research protections.  Joe leads professional development talks and working groups at UMD for faculty, students and staff on topics related to the IRB process. In addition, he serves on the Intellectual Property Committee, Diving Control Board and formerly on the Institutional Biosafety Committee (2011 – 2016).  From 2011 – 2021, Joe served as the Conflict of Interest and Institutional Conflict of Interest Administrator for UMD.