Emeritus Status Bestowed Upon Two Morris College Retirees
Emeritus Status Bestowed Upon Two Morris College Retirees
April 28, 2021
Pictured from left to right are: Dr. Patricia G. Ali, retired professor of history and Dr. Richard L. Smith, retired professor of business administration
On Thursday, April 22, 2021, Dr. Patricia G. Ali, professor of history and Dr. Richard L. Smith, professor of business administration, who collectively engaged students in the importance and relevance of education as well as made significant contributions to the college and community for more than thirty years, have received professor emeritus status from the Morris College Board of Trustees.
“Emeritus status is often awarded to retired professors or administrators in higher education who have given exceptional service to a college or university and are allowed to retain their title as an honor,” said Dr. Leroy Staggers, Morris College president. Morris College is pleased to bestow upon Dr. Patricia G. Ali the honorary title of Professor Emerita of History and Dr. Richard L. Smith, Professor Emeritus of Business Administration continued Dr. Staggers.
Authority to grant emeritus status rests with the Morris College Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the president of the college.
Below are the biographies for Morris College’s latest professor emeritus honorees:
Dr. Ali taught history for fifty-three years, is very active in the Sumter Community, and is an author of several publications and contributor to history textbooks. Dr. Ali is also a Woodrow Wilson Fellow (History) and served as the college’s 2006 Professor of the Year. While a professor at Morris, she coordinated the college’s Study Abroad Program during spring break to complement academic studies and expose students, faculty, staff, and alumni to other cultures. Dr. Ali increased awareness of global issues as well. Past trips have included: visits to the United Kingdom; Ireland; France; South Africa; China; Spain; Portugal; Morocco; Italy; Greece; and the Netherlands. Dr. Ali also coordinated the annual Constitution Day at Morris College for several years. She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of South Carolina, her Master of Arts degree from Clemson University, and her undergraduate degree from Skidmore College. Dr. Ali earned her Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts degree in History. Dr. Ali is married to Professor Radman M. Ali, who chairs the college’s Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and has been teaching biology since 1966.
Dr. Smith taught business administration for thirty-two years and during his tenure, he established and chaired the college’s Division of Business Administration, the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business, the Business Administration Advisory Council, and assisted in establishing the Organizational Management (ORM) Program. Dr. Smith’s background and experiences resulted in him creating an internship program for the Division of Business Administration as well as he led the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The program’s accreditation has been affirmed twice since its initial accreditation. He also represented the college at numerous meetings and conferences on business administration programs and curricula. Dr. Smith received his Doctor of Philosophy from Ohio State University, Master's in Education from Pennsylvania State University, and his undergraduate degree from Shippensburg State College. His graduate degrees are in Business Education. He studied further at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Maryland.