LEXINGTON, Va. Dec. 3, 2025 — Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia’s poet laureate, has been chosen by Virginia Business (VB) for their list of “100 People to Meet in 2026” in the Educators category.

For the seventh year, VB, a publication dedicated to covering economic activity in every sector and region of Virginia, highlighted a group of fascinating people in the commonwealth.

A lifelong resident of Virginia, Smith grew up in Appalachia in humble surroundings. The first of her family to go to college, she received her undergraduate degree from Hollins University where she double majored in biology and English literature. She continued her studies at Hollins, earning a master’s degree in English literature and creative writing. She earned her doctorate from Virginia Tech in 2024.

Smith’s poetry has appeared in many periodicals. She has written screenplays with her husband and VMI peer, Douglas N. Smith. Their documentary film, “Between Two Fires” garnered a CINE Eagle and Best Documentary of the Show in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded the film an Oscar for excellence in graduate student filmmaking.

Using funds she received from an Academy of American Poets Laureate fellowship, Smith launched “Perseverance and Resilience: Supporting Veterans through Poetry,” a project that supports veterans’ health and well-being. The project involves regional workshops throughout Virginia, facilitated by creative writing instructors and contemporary veteran poets. Through the workshops, veterans explore ways they have persevered and found resilience in challenging times.

Smith confessed she was taken by surprise when VB initially contacted her to tell her she had been chosen. “Virginia Business is a fantastic resource for Virginians. Useful information and professional insights fill its pages. I am thankful for the support this endorsement provides for my veterans poetry project.”

Smith is currently working on a book of poetry titled, “Optics and Doubt.”

The entire list of “100 People to Meet in 2026” may be viewed online.

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE