Dr. Isais Wellington Smith is an urban sociologist with approximately 8 years of teaching experience in the areas of race & ethnicity, culture & identity, and sport sociology. Dr. Smith received his Master’s (2016) and PhD (2019) in sociology at the University of Missouri, where he wrote his dissertation titled: “Learning the Ropes: Coaching and Performing Race, Style, and Identity in Professional Boxing.” Growing up in southern California, Dr. Smith grew up around sports, particularly amateur boxing, and basketball, but also enjoys hip-hop music, and occasionally video games.   

Before his work in academia, Dr. Smith received his Bachelor’s in sociology from the University of California, Riverside in 2007 and then later entered graduate school to acquire his Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Cal State University, San Bernardino in 2011. Dr. Smith worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker for the Department of Mental Health, County of Los Angeles for approximately 4 years before becoming an academic. Dr. Smith is still very much active in the professional boxing world and has even been a part of the coaching staff of numerous televised boxing matches. His current research interests discuss the significance of coaching and race and ethnicity as it pertains to fighting style in the sport.