Justin Smith '17

February 23, 2021

Buffalo, NY - An avid reader and writer from an early age, Justin chose Canisius for its manageable size. He knew a smaller campus would give him abundant opportunities to get involved and flex his writing muscles in the process.

As a double major in English and creative writing, with a minor in political science, he honed his versatile writing skills through class assignments and campus involvements. He learned the ropes of literary publishing as an editor for the Quadrangle magazine. He stretched his skills, met aggressive deadlines, and made close friends with other student-journalists as the news editor for The Griffin newspaper. Honors electives in a variety of topics, including rock ‘n’ roll literature, taught him to appreciate unusual and diverse perspectives. Critical thinking in every class he took gave him a solid foundation for a career in academia.

Today Justin is pursuing dual doctorates at Pennsylvania State University, where he has distinguished himself as a college instructor and a scholar of 20th-century African American literature.