M. Chad Smith |
Chad Smith is an independent filmmaker that lives in Greenville, North Carolina. He graduated from East Carolina University with B.S. (2002) and M.S. (2006) degrees in Biology. Afterwards, he worked as coordinator for a citizen science water quality monitoring project under the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership. His involvement with citizen science led him back to East Carolina University to work on his Ph.D. in Coastal Resources Management, which he completed in 2015.
Currently, he works as the Science Coordinator and Biology Professor for Beaufort County Community College (BCCC) in addition to online adjunct faculty positions for Shaw University, one of the oldest historically black colleges in the country; and Miller-Motte Technical College. He recently became involved with the Study Abroad Program at BCCC where he traveled and led classes in Costa Rica and Belize. Furthermore, he is currently producing a podcast series for educators by educators.
Although filmmaking was something that interested him his whole life, he didn’t begin to explore it until he joined the Green Grass Cloggers, a dance troupe that has danced around the world since 1971. For the past decade, he has filmed the travels of the Green Grass Cloggers and produced three travelogue-style films for the dancers. Floating Dancer is his first short documentary film to reach a wider and public audience. He was delighted when it was an official selection for the 2017 Boone Film Festival in the Culture category. He has also incorporated filmmaking into his biology classes by having his students write and produce environmentally themed public service announcements.
Aside from work and producing films, he is an avid runner and has participated in over 100 local road races and events, including the New York City and Philadelphia marathons. Musically, he enjoys playing piano and has produced original solo piano compositions for multiple digital platforms. He has also worked as a background actor for film and TV productions filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
