Thank goodness the fire ants in Yaounde weren’t successful in eating Adriana Smyth alive. Countless students would miss out on her valuable teaching. Smyth is an exceptional teacher with a variety of experiences that helped shape her teaching methods and value education.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MA in Education from UC Berkeley, Smyth’s academic background shows her wide range of interests. After graduating from San Francisco State University with an MA in Ecology and Systematics, she went on to UC Berkeley to finish her PhD in Biology, Smyth’s pursuit of an EdD (Doctor of Education) at the University of San Francisco further strengthened her ability to transform the educational landscape.
Before pursuing a career in teaching, Smyth spent a year working with the Baka people of Cameroon in the Congo rainforest where she worked on a research program investigating the impacts of human activities on fruit dispersal by a keystone bird species. Although some were scary, such as having to fight off fire ants at the risk of being eaten alive, Smyth explained that through her experiences in Africa, she learned valuable life lessons.
“It made me realize how intertwined we are with nature,” Smyth said.
Returning from Africa, Smyth faced a turning point in her career.
“It made me realize that research alone wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to connect with people and share my love for science—that’s when I decided to become a teacher,” Smyth explained. “I mean, the way you become a better teacher is to keep on growing. And that was a major growth experience.”
Over the course of her career, Smyth has established a teaching style that places a strong emphasis on project-based learning methods. This enables students to work directly with real-world issues and inspires students to take action.
Junior at San Domenico, Larkin Bowie expressed her appreciation of Smyth’s chemistry class.
Although Larkin didn’t favor science prior to this year, she said, “I think doing those visual experiments has really helped me grow my love for science.”
At San Domenico, Smyth has blessed her chemistry classes with engaging and entertaining assignments, her witty humor, and openness to ideas. Not only does the student body adore her, but our faculty does as well.
Upper school Dean of Students Stacey Cohen, speaks to Smyth’s influence, not just in the classroom, but in the San Domenico community:
“She’s really genuinely passionate about her area of science. And I think she really cares about the students as individuals”
Dr.Smyth taught chemistry and other science classes at The College Preparatory School in Oakland after earning her PhD. She was renowned for her creative teaching strategies and leadership. Afterwards, Smyth spent many years as the chair of the science department at The Bay School in San Francisco, where she shaped a new generation of inquisitive, motivated students.
Smyth’s dedication to teaching quality has not gone unnoticed. She has won numerous awards, including the 2008 Marcus Foster Foundation Plank Fellowship, which acknowledged her contributions to education. She also received Fund for Teachers Fellowships in 2005 and 2010.
Smyth is a passionate and dedicated educator who has shaped the lives of numerous students over her career of more than 30 years. Her classes inspire students to think critically and connect their studies to real-world issues. And her infectious passion for science and diverse academic background inspire her community as well.
