Brenae Smith
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Brenae Smith is HCM’s Associate Director and provides support across client projects through research and analysis. Brenae joined HCM as a Postsecondary Fellow in 2023 and worked on issues and projects ranging from state budget proposals to strategies for enrollment, retention, and completion outcomes for low-income students.
She began her career in student affairs at her alma mater, the University of Michigan, where she enjoyed supporting and working directly with students, serving in roles across program coordination and advising. Prior to joining HCM, she worked as a Data Project Manager at the University of Michigan’s Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
A Michigan native, Brenae earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and received her master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her graduate program focused on higher education policy and sparked her interest in working to advance policies that improve access to higher education and student outcomes, especially for students who have been historically underserved. Brenae hopes to continue an equity-focused career, which is what drew her to HCM.
Brenae currently resides in the metro Atlanta area and enjoys walks with her dog-niece, trying new restaurants, and binging trivia game shows.