Ellise Antoinette Smith is from Detroit, Michigan, with a research focus on the experiences of bodies that identify as fat. With an interdisciplinary focus, Smith uses photography (#VisualActivism), podcasting, spoken word poetry, and social media as a catalyst to center these narratives.

As a doctoral student in the Urban Education Studies program at IUPUI, Smith dedicates her scholarship to creating celebratory spaces for the marginalized identities that she holds using frameworks such as Black Feminist Thought, Sense of Belonging, Intersectionality, and Critical Race Theory. In addition, she aims to ensure that the work and narratives around bigger bodies are included in academia while challenging the dominant ideologies around body image acceptance.

Smith centers her work within the diversity, equity, and inclusion sector as she pulls from her experiences working with first-generation, low-income students, racial equity, and eradicating injustices for underrepresented populations.