Rate My Professor Gregory P Smith

Gregory P. Smith, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences within the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia. Having joined the institution in 2007, he completed his Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSci), Bachelor of Social Science with Honours (BSocSci Hons), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) there. His doctoral dissertation, titled "Nobody's Children: An exploration into a sense of belonging of adults who experienced institutional out-of-home care as children," was submitted in 2015 and awarded in 2016, employing a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to investigate the lived experiences of Forgotten Australians.

Smith's academic interests lie in the qualitative study of social disadvantage, focusing on homeless and vulnerable populations, and exploring constructs such as shame, stigma, and identity. His scholarly outputs encompass books like the memoir "Out of the Forest" (Penguin Random House Australia, 2018), which chronicles personal and societal challenges and serves as a mental health resource in universities internationally, and "Better Than Happiness: The True Antidote to Discontent" (Penguin Life, 2023), offering insights into post-trauma recovery through mindset and goal-setting. Peer-reviewed journal articles include "Exploring a sense of belonging for some Forgotten Australians as they age" (Community, Work & Family, 2022, co-authored with S. Darab and Y. Hartman), "A scoping review of voluntary male mentoring: Themes to connect adult men" and "Voluntary male mentors' lived experience of social engagement with men in their community" (both Health & Social Care in the Community, 2022, with M. Henderson et al.), "Historical out-of-home child care leavers and mental health needs" (Australian Social Work, 2017), and "‘Closed Worlds’: Reflections on Institutional Care and Child Slavery in Australia" (Children Australia, 2008, with R. Hil and J. Penglase). Additional contributions feature chapters like "To learn is to live" (2015) and reports such as "Voices of the Street" (2025, with D. Stonehouse). With over 60 citations on Google Scholar, his research advances understanding of trauma-informed care and social inclusion. Smith has been honored with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to social justice advocacy and education.