{"id":67622,"date":"2025-04-27T21:50:34","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T01:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=67622"},"modified":"2025-05-05T14:31:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:31:45","slug":"first-gen-second-degree-bailee-smiths-journey-through-utc-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/first-gen-second-degree-bailee-smiths-journey-through-utc-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"First-gen, second degree: Bailee Smith\u2019s journey through UTC and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bailee

Bailee Smith will be receiving a Master of Science in Psychological Science during UTC Graduate School commencement ceremonies. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Bailee Smith didn\u2019t grow up dreaming of becoming a college professor. In fact, she didn\u2019t even start college planning to pursue cognitive science.<\/p>\n

But as she prepares to walk across the McKenzie Arena stage on May 2 to receive her master\u2019s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she is already envisioning life as Dr. Smith.<\/p>\n

A first-generation college student, Smith earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology from UTC in 2023 and will soon complete her Master of Science in Psychological Science. The South Pittsburg, Tennessee, native has accepted an offer to begin a Ph.D. program in cognitive and brain sciences this fall at Louisiana State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being from here and having the opportunities that I\u2019ve had are pretty cool,\u201d Smith said. \u201cTo be the first person in my family to do this\u2014and to know that I get to continue\u2014feels surreal.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrad school is a challenge\u2014and to see everything I\u2019ve worked on for two years come together is emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n

===============================================================<\/p>\n

Click here for more UTC Commencement 2025 stories<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

===============================================================<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s journey to graduate school wasn\u2019t always so clear. She initially entered UTC with plans to become a nurse practitioner until she realized it wasn\u2019t her calling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt so odd to turn away from nursing school because it\u2019s so competitive,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve never looked back. Every moment since has validated that this is what I\u2019m supposed to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In August, she will start her Ph.D. studies under the direction of LSU Professor of Psychology Emily Elliott\u2014the same faculty member who advised UC Foundation Professor of Psychology Jill Shelton during her own doctoral studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of full circle,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI think of her as the mom of the program. Dr. Shelton has been the person I go to for everything and I really look up to her. To now be working with her mentor is just an amazing opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shelton, also the director of UTC\u2019s Psychological Science M.S. program, described Smith as \u201cthe whole package.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe loves teaching, she\u2019s a dedicated scholar and she genuinely cares about helping others,\u201d Shelton said. \u201cShe\u2019s the kind of student who takes advice and uses it not just to improve her own work but to support her peers.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been thoughtful, kind and dependable\u2014especially in helping me accommodate my visual impairment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith, who has taught undergraduate classes and assisted in multiple research labs during her time at UTC\u2014including Shelton\u2019s CALM (Cognition, Attention, Learning and Memory) Lab\u2014said those experiences were what helped solidify her goal of becoming a professor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwitching paths (from nursing) was scary but I\u2019ve never looked back,\u201d Smith said. \u201cBeing here and doing this work has been validating. I just can\u2019t imagine doing anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bailee

Bailee Smith and Dr. Brett Eschman, the director of UTC\u2019s Visual Memory and Attention Development Lab. Eschman has served as Smith’s advisor during her master’s pursuit.<\/p><\/div>\n

Smith<\/strong>\u2019s master\u2019s research<\/strong><\/a>, titled \u201cInvestigating the Relationship Between Intelligence and Executive Function Through Visual Scanning Strategies,\u201d used eye-tracking technology in conjunction with a Go\/No-Go task to measure how participants managed distractions and regulated behavior. She analyzed metrics like saccades, fixation counts and dwell times\u2014all while correlating them with intelligence scores measured through the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to add to this ongoing debate about whether executive function and intelligence are linked,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been studying this since about 1927 and it\u2019s still murky. I thought, \u2018What if we look at this in a new way?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cEye tracking gave me a way to see how people are actually processing information in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith found that participants with higher intelligence tended to use different eye movement strategies when completing cognitive tasks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a small piece,\u201d she said. \u201cBut that\u2019s what research is. It\u2019s not changing the world in one step; it\u2019s slowly building the understanding piece by piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Assistant Professor of Psychology Bret Eschman, the director of UTC\u2019s Visual Memory and Attention Development Lab<\/strong><\/a>, has advised Smith throughout her master\u2019s pursuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cBailee has been my first graduate student and she\u2019s been foundational to building the lab\u2019s success,\u201d Eschman said. \u201cShe\u2019s taken on a leadership role\u2014running meetings, training students, managing data quality\u2014and that\u2019s allowed me to focus on the high-level direction of the lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s thrived in that role and she\u2019s absolutely ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eschman praised Smith\u2019s growth in scientific writing, statistics and experimental design. He also said she has \u201cthe rare ability to balance high-level research with service and teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s excelled across the board,\u201d he said, \u201cand not all students can do that. She\u2019s going to make a major contribution to academia.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to her work with Shelton and Eschman, Smith has worked with Associate Professor Amanda Clark\u2014also the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences\u2014gaining experience in research, teaching and program management.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Dr. Eschman, it was a lot of lab building and task development,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWith Dr. Shelton, it was running a bigger lab and doing a little bit of everything\u2014research, mentoring, being a TA. And with Dr. Clark, I helped with course-building and some administrative work. So I\u2019ve seen different sides of academia.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said those experiences gave her a well-rounded perspective on what a faculty career entails.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I knew I wanted to be a professor, I\u2019ve never wavered,\u201d she said. \u201cSome people realize it\u2019s not for them, but for me, it just reinforced that this is what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

While juggling teaching, mentoring and multiple research projects, Smith said she relied on staying focused, asking for help when needed and remembering her long-term goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrad school is intense,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a 9-to-5 job plus homework. But I love it. I really do. When a student comes up to you after class and says, \u2018I want to major in psychology because of you,\u2019 that\u2019s everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she prepares to take the next step in her academic career, Smith said she\u2019s grateful for the support she\u2019s received.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cried when I got my Ph.D. acceptance,\u201d she said. \u201cI told Dr. Shelton and she was so happy. I told Dr. Eschman and it felt like a win for both of us. Your mentors pour so much into you\u2014and to be able to say, \u2018I got in,\u2019 is the best feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after commencement, Smith will head to Washington, D.C., after landing a spot in the prestigious Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP), where she will collaborate with military-affiliated researchers on projects related to cognition.<\/p>\n

The 10-week NREIP\u2014a competitive program with over 800 placements in 62 laboratories around the country\u2014will quickly be followed by the move to Louisiana to start her doctoral program.<\/p>\n

Smith wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really need much of a break,\u201d she said with a smile. \u201cSchool is such a big part of my identity at this point. I like staying busy and I\u2019m excited to keep learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC Department of Psychology<\/a><\/p>\n

The eyes have it: Dr. Bret Eschman\u2019s vision for cognitive development<\/a><\/p>\n

Notice of Final Defense \u2013 Bailee Smith to Present Master\u2019s Research<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\u201cOnce

\u201cOnce I knew I wanted to be a professor, I\u2019ve never wavered,\u201d Bailee Smith said. \u201cSome people realize it\u2019s not for them, but for me, it just reinforced that this is what I love.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bailee Smith didn\u2019t grow up dreaming of becoming a college professor. In fact, she didn\u2019t even start college planning to pursue cognitive science. But as she prepares to walk across the McKenzie Arena stage on May 2 to receive her master\u2019s degree, she is already envisioning life as Dr. Smith.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":67630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,70,123864,61,3,7712,83654,64,286,48007,8325,661],"tags":[124464,125093,125090,94695,125515,123827,123826,125533,94696,124776,125534,123829,125092,125094],"class_list":{"0":"post-67622","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","10":"category-community","11":"category-faculty-and-staff","12":"category-graduate-school","13":"category-health-and-wellness","14":"category-news","15":"category-psychology","16":"category-research-academics","17":"category-service","18":"category-students","19":"tag-amanda-clark","20":"tag-bailee-smith","21":"tag-bret-eschman","22":"tag-calm-lab","23":"tag-commencement-2025","24":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","25":"tag-cultivating-a-culture-of-innovation","26":"tag-emily-elliott","27":"tag-jill-shelton","28":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","29":"tag-naval-research-enterprise-program","30":"tag-operating-with-excellence","31":"tag-visual-memory-and-attention-development-lab","32":"tag-vmad-lab","33":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nFirst-gen, second degree: Bailee Smith\u2019s journey through UTC and beyond | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bailee Smith didn\u2019t grow up dreaming of becoming a college professor. 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