Jivanna C. Smith, named Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services in August 2023, has continued to elevate Alcorn State’s academic performance in athletics through her strategic leadership and student-centered support systems.

Since joining the Athletics Department in October 2015, Smith has held numerous key roles—Graduate Assistant in Athletic Compliance and Academic Affairs, Academic Advisor/Tutor Coordinator, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Services, and Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services. In her current position, she crafts educational plans tailored to student-athletes’ aspirations, while aligning with NCAA benchmarks and promoting holistic development.

Smith has collaborated with nearly every program—from football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, track & field/cross country, to baseball, softball, and golf—ensuring timely graduation through customized academic strategies. Her role in fostering relationships with campus departments ensures student-athletes benefit from a robust support framework under the 4 for 40 initiative.

A long-standing N4A member, Smith was awarded the HBCU Scholarship to attend the 2017 N4A Regional Conference in Baton Rouge; that year she also presented at the NCAA AASP Conference in New Orleans on the “Pre-Enrollment Program.” Her efforts have helped elevate academic standards across athletics, demonstrated by program GPAs such as football (3.06) and men’s basketball (3.23). The athletics department recently achieved record highs of 88 graduates, a 3.35 cumulative GPA, and a 3.40 term GPA.

In the 2024–25 academic year, under her guidance and with the continued support of the department, Alcorn State received the SWAC Academic Success Award, outperforming conference peers in key metrics—including four-year APR average, single-year APR average, and Graduation Success Rate. Additionally, the athletics department ranked third in the SWAC All-Academic Achievement Awards, with 65% of student-athletes earning a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Dr. Smith, alongside Angel Brooks, received special recognition for their significant contributions to these honors.

Smith earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi (2014), an M.Ed. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in School Counseling from Alcorn State (2018), and became the first graduate of Alcorn’s NCAA Compliance and APR Reporting Program (2019). She completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Liberty University in 2024. She is also a proud mother to her son, Roman Carter Green.