Joshua M. Smith ’92

Major at MMA: Yacht Operations
Extracurricular involvement while at MMA: Theater Club
Employer: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Where has your career taken you since graduation?

Massachusetts, Caribbean, South America on ships. All over the U.S., Canada, Belgium, and Portugal as a professor.

What is your current title and what are your responsibilities?

Professor and Head, Department of Humanities, and Interim Director of the American Merchant Marine Museum.

What piece of advice would you give to a student going into your field?

Stay open to opportunities around the world. Don’t be afraid to go overseas for work and the experience.

How did the MMA experience prepare you for both your prior positions and your current career focus?

The license was great, and while I was younger I was glad to work on ferries and some small cruise ships. But it has really been my exposure and understanding of maritime affairs writ large that has allowed me to become an effective maritime historian.

What are your goals for the future?

I’m pretty wrapped up with my family at this stage of life, but I do have some projects. I’d like to lead a team on a project I call the Historical Atlas of American Maritime History, and I’m still working on a manuscript about Maine and the War of 1812. I really like my position at USMMA, and just made full professor there.