Tom Smith was born in Sandusky, Ohio in December 1955. He was raised in Indiana for most of his youth and attended Purdue University for his first year of college. During that time he became a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission to Tokyo, Japan (1976-1978). Upon returning Tom completed a 4 year BS degree at Brigham Young University. Seeking a MS degree at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks, Tom studied reindeer winter foraging behavior in western Alaska (1984-1987). Returning to BYU to study under Dr. Jerran Flinders Tom completed a 5 year PhD program focused on the ecology and management of mountain sheep in northeastern Utah (1986-1992). Tom was then hired by the National Park Service in southwestern Alaska where he served from 1992-2006 as a research biologist for the NPS and USGS. In 2006 Tom and his family relocated to Provo, Utah to serve on the Wildlife and Wildlands Faculty of Brigham Young University. Tom and his wife Cynthia have been married for 36 years and have 4 children.
Research Interests
Tom's research interests include wildife-human conflicts, particularly involving all three species of North American bears and mountain sheep. More recent work includes the Indian Sloth Bear and Bobcat.
Teaching Interests
Tom's teaching interests include environmental biology, wildlife management techniques, wildlife behavior, safety in the workplace and carnivore conservation.
Licenses and Certifications
National Rifle Association, National Rifle Association Firearms Instructor (2012 - 2014)
Honors and Awards
Outstanding Teacher Award, Utah Valley University
(1991 - Present)
Outstanding Teacher Award, Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department
(2021 - 2021)
Appreciation for Mentoring, Anchorage School District & Gifted Mentorship Program
(1999 - 1999)
Outstanding Accomplishment Award, US Geological Survey
(1998 - 1998)
Certificate of Appreciation, National Park Service
(1994 - 1994)
Outstanding PhD dissertation, Sigma XI Society
(1992 - 1992)
Outstanding student paper award, The Utah Chapter of The Wildlife Society
(1992 - 1992)
Memberships
National Rifle Association (2012 - 2022)
Utah Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2006 - 2022)
Arctic Institute of North America (2000 - 2022)
International Association of Bear Management and Research (1994 - 2022)
The Wildlife Society (1990 - 2022)
Desert Bighorn Council (2000 - 2014)
The Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council (1986 - 2014)
Professional Citizenship
Committee/Council Member, IUCN Polar Bear Conflict Working Group (2017 - 2019)
Other, Polar Bears International (2008 - 2019)
Conference-Related Role, International Association of Bear Research and Management (2011 - 2013)
Board Member, Utah Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2011 - 2012)
Officer, The Wildlife Society - Utah Chapter (2010 - 2011)
Editor, Associate Editor, Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council (2009 - 2009)
Courses Taught
Publications
Vincenzo PenterianiGiulia BombieriKamran AlmasiehHüseyin AmbarliMohammad AshrafzadehChandan DasNishith DharaiyaRafael HoogesteijnAlmira HoogesteijnDennis IkandaWłodzimierz JędrzejewskiMohammad KaboliAnastasia KirilyukAshish JangidRavi SharmaHadas KushnirBabu Lamichhane Babu LamichhaneAlireza MohammadiOctavio Monroy-VilchisJoseph MukekaIgor NikolaevOmar OhrensCraig PackerPaolo PedriniShyamala RatnayekeIvan SeryodkinThomas SharpHimanshu Shekhar PaleiThomas Scott SmithAshok SubediFernando TortatoKoji YamazakiMaria del Mar DelgadoAdriana Castro DunganThomas Scott SmithElicia Grigg CotcherRandy T LarsenWes LarsonShanmugavelu SwaminathanThomas R. SharpAttur S. ArunThomas Scott SmithRandy LarsenJames M. WilderLindsey S. MangipaneTodd AtwoodAnatoly KochnevPaul LutnaesThomas Scott SmithDag VongravenHeather ColettiGrant HilderbrandJames BodkinBrenda BallacheyJoy ErlenbachGeorge EsslingerMichael HannamKimberly KloeckerBuck MangipaneAmy MillerDaniel MonsonBenjamin PisterTom Scott SmithThomas Robert SharpThomas Scott SmithAttur Shanmugan ArunShanmugavelu SwaminathanGiulia BombieriVincenzo PenterianiKamran AlmasiehMohammad Reza AshrafzadehChandan Surabhi DasNishith DharaiyhaRafael HoogesteijnAlmira HoogesteijnDennis IkandaWlodzimiez JedrezejewskiMohammad KaboliAnastasia KirilyukAshish Kumar JangidRavi Kumar SharmaHadas KushnirBabu Ram LamichaneAlireza MohammadiOctavio Monroy-VilchisJoseph M. MukekaIgor NikolaevOmar OhrensCraig PackerPaolo PedriniShymala RatnayekeIvan SeryodkinThomas SharpThomas Scott Scott SmithAshok SubediFernando TortatoKoji YamazakiMaria Mar DelgadoThomas Scott SmithAndrew E. DerocherRachel MazurGeoff YorkMegan OwenMartyn ObbardEvan RichardsonSteven C. AmstrupRusty RobinsonThomas Scott SmithJericho C. WhitingRandy T LarsenJustin ShannonThomas Robert SharpShanmugavelu SwaminathanAttur Shanmugan ArunThomas Scott SmithKartick SatyanarayanGeeta SeshamaniThomas Scott Scott SmithJames M. WilderGeoff YorkBlake BillingsThomas SmithThomas Scott SmithSteven C, AmstrupBJ KirschhofferGeoffrey YorkKanau SproatNathan R MartinezThomas S SmithWilliam B. SloanJerran T. FlindersJ. William BatesJoseph G. CrestoVernon C BleichRusty W. RobinsonJericho C. WhitingJustin M. ShannonDaniel D. OlsonJerran T. FlindersThomas Scott SmithWesley Glen LarsonThomas Scott SmithThomas Scott SmithKaryn D RodeJay OlsonDennis Lee EggettDavid C DouglasGeorge M DurnerTodd C AtwoodEric V RegehrRyan R WilsonThomas Scott SmithMichelle MartinKaryn D. RodeJay W. OlsonDennis EggettDavid C. DouglasGeorge M. DurnerTodd C. AtwoodEric V. RegehrRyan R. WilsonTom S. SmithMichelle St. MartinThomas S SmithJohn GookinBryan G HopkinsSamantha Henrie ThompsonRusty W. RobinsonThomas S SmithJericho C. WhitingJustin M ShannonWesley LarsonThomas S SmithKaryn D RodeJ. W. OlsonD. EggettD. C. DouglasG. M. DurnerT. C. AtwoodE. V. RegherR. S. WilsonT. S. SmithM. St. MartinWesley LarsonThomas S. SmithGeoffrey YorkThomas R. SharpS. SwamianathanA. S. ArunThomas S. SmithK. SatyanarayanG. SeshamaniThomas Scott SmithStephen M. HerreroKanalu SproatNathan R. MartinezThomas S SmithGuy WallacePam RiddleRusty W. RobinsonThomas Scott SmithJericho C. WhitingJustin M. ShannonAmy J GoochSteven L PetersenGail H CollinsThomas Scott SmithBrock R McMillanDennis Lee EggettJay W. OlsonKaren D. RodeDennis Lee EggettThomas Scott SmithR. R. WilsonGeorge M. DurnerAnthony FischbachTodd C. AtwoodDavid C. DouglasJulie A. MillerThomas Scott SmithJanene AugerHal BlackLoreen AllphinJulie A. MillerThomas Scott SmithJanene AugerHal Lunt BlackLoreen AllphinJulie A. MillerThomas Scott SmithJanene AugerHal L. BlackLoreen AllphinJohn GookinThomas Scott SmithAlison WilliamsThomas Scott SmithRusty RobinsonRandy T LarsenBJ KirschhofferJustin M ShannonJericho C. WhitingBrent Larsen AdamsDaniel D OlsonJerran Trueman FlindersThomas Scott SmithR. Terry BowyerThomas Scott SmithThomas Scott SmithThomas Scott SmithJulie A. MillerCali Layton StrongThomas Scott SmithJared OysterSteven T. PartridgeIan MartinThomas Scott SmithStephen HerreroCali Layton StrongRandy T LarsenKathryn JohnsonThomas Scott SmithRusty RobinsonSteven C. AmstrupCheryl RosaStephen HerreroAndrew HigginsJ. E. CardozaL. I. HajdukThomas Scott SmithThomas Scott SmithRusty RobinsonThomas Scott SmithJ. A. MillerB. J. KirschhofferThomas Scott SmithJulie A MillerCali LaytonT D DeBruynT S SmithJustin M ShannonDaniel D OlsonJericho C WhitingJerran Trueman FlindersThomas Scott SmithThomas Scott SmithJulie A MillerJ M ShannonD D OlsonJ C WhitingJerran Trueman FlindersThomas Scott SmithS T PartridgeThomas Scott SmithTerry D DeBruynThomas Scott SmithJ ShannonD OlsonJ WhitingThomas Scott SmithJerran Trueman FlindersThomas Scott SmithStephen HerreroTerry D DeBruynThomas Scott SmithStephen HerreroTerry D DeBruynJames WilderThomas Scott SmithT D DeBruynT LewisS T PartridgeR YerxaThomas Scott SmithT. D. DeBruynT. LewisR. YerxaS. T. PartridgeJ M WilderT D DeBruynThomas Scott SmithA SouthwouldTerry D DeBruynThomas Scott SmithJohn GookinJohn SchoenThomas Scott SmithS T PartridgeS C AmstrupS SchliebeS C AmstrupI SterlingThomas Scott SmithC PerhamG ThiemannS C AmstrupG M DurnerG YorkE RegehrK S SimacD DouglasThomas Scott SmithS T PartidgeT O'haraT BentzenC KirkThomas Scott SmithS T PartridgeJ W SchoenThomas Scott SmithS C AmstrupS HerreroThomas Scott SmithS HerreroT D DeBruynS HerreroThomas Scott SmithT DeBruynK GuntherC MattThomas Scott SmithPerry J HardinJerran T. Flinders
Presentations
Wesley W. LarsonThomas S Smith
James WilderThomas S. SmithMartyn Obbard
Thomas S Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Wesley G. LarsonThomas S. Smith
Kyle MunceyThomas Scott SmithJace Taylor
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
John KirschhofferThomas Scott SmithWesley G. LarsonRusty W. RobinsonJay W. Olson
Bryan G HopkinsThomas Scott SmithSamantha HenrieJohn Gookin
Thomas Scott SmithMartyn ObbardKassie Siegel
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Amy J GoochSteven L PetersenBrock R McMillanThomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott Smith
Thomas Scott SmithRusty Robinson
Amy J GoochSteven L PetersenGail CollinsThomas Scott SmithBrock R McMillan