LEXINGTON, Va. May 6, 2025 — Dr. Mattie Quesenberry Smith, instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute and the Commonwealth of Virginia’s poet laureate, is featured on episode 28 of “The Laureate Project,” a podcast launched by Emmy-nominated journalist, Matt Hoisch. Hoisch describes his podcast as “an audio odyssey to interview all of America’s state poets laureate in an effort to understand a bit more about this country from perspective of its publicly appointed bards.”  

On the 10 ½ minute episode, simply titled “Virginia: Mattie Quesenberry Smith,” Smith, who  earned a double major in biology and English literature from Hollins University and a doctorate in interdisciplinary curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech, shares her thoughts about the diverse and rich natural resources found in the commonwealth, her experiences growing up there, and the value of interweaving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with poetry.

In addition to the link above, the episode may be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify under “The Laureate Project.”

-VMI-