Erin Smith

Erin Smith brings more than 15 years of editorial experience and a deep sense of stewardship to her role as assistant director of editorial operations at Purdue Brand Studio. She leads Purdue’s editorial team and helps safeguard the quality, credibility and clarity of university communications, ensuring Purdue’s stories are presented with the same care as the discoveries, people and ideas they represent. 

Before joining Purdue, Erin built a career in publishing, editing numerous New York Times bestsellers, including titles by Francine Rivers and Joel C. Rosenberg, as well as “Coming Back Stronger” by Purdue football legend Drew Brees. Her experience reviewing and shaping everything from full-length manuscripts to back-cover copy and author communications gives her a deep understanding of how thoughtful editing can strengthen a story without losing its voice. 

A Purdue alumna, Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in journalism. Her time as a reporter for the local newspaper provided her a unique perspective on her hometown and fostered within her an appreciation for connecting audiences with news that affects their communities. 

She believes a good editor is a reader first, approaching each project with a keen sense of its audience and a curiosity that drives her to ask questions and investigate details others might miss. She is especially inspired by the breadth of discovery taking place across Purdue and enjoys helping researchers, leaders and communicators share complex ideas in ways that inform and engage the broad audiences the university reaches. 

A lifelong Boilermaker fan, Erin follows Purdue athletics closely and enjoys reading fiction and solving word puzzles. Her curiosity extends well beyond the page, and she loves discovering how stories help explain the world around her. Whether through books, travel or conversation, she seeks out the common experiences that connect people across places and cultures and, often in the process, uncovers unexpected and intriguing details that leave a meaningful and memorable impact.