Dominican takes up position in Silicon Valley after earning doctoral degree

Francis Smith

Another Dominican high achiever, Francis Anthony Smith, has joined the ranks of Silicon Valley engineers in the United States after receiving a doctoral degree in electrical engineering.

Dr. Smith is employed as a Silicon Photonics Hardware Engineer.

He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester, New York on October 4, 2019, The PhD Diploma was conferred on him by the University in virtual graduation this month.

Smith’s scholastic journey was punctuated by a number of academic achievements which served as a precursor to his current accomplishments.

Francis Smith, who is the son of Jude and Avis Smith, was born in Roseau, St. George, Commonwealth of Dominica in 1989.  He attended St. Mary’s Academy and graduated in June 2005.  He was awarded top CXC honors in November of that year by the Ministry of Education.

Smith then attended the City College of New York and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Grove School of Engineering in June 2011, with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Physics.  Francis completed his undergraduate studies as a National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) scholar and a New York City Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NYC-LSAMP) research scholar.  He credits his well-rounded scholastic foundation to his roots at the St. Mary’s Academy, in Roseau, Dominica.

In the of Fall 2011, Smith began graduate studies at the University of Rochester in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering under the Provost Fellowship, along with the Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) Fellowship.  He completed his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Rochester in 2013.

Smith pursued his doctoral research in Integrated Silicon Photonic design, fabrication, and testing under the direction of Professor Hui Wu.  He worked at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center in 2012 and Brookhaven National Laboratory in 2011, and between June 2016 and March 2017.  He also undertook a teaching fellowship in Ghana, Africa during the Summer of 2014.

Dr. Smith’s doctoral research focused on Integrated Silicon Photonic Optical Phased Arrays for Free-Space Optical Interconnects.

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17 Comments

  1. Wilby
    May 21, 2020

    Excellent impressive resume, good luck young man. We need lots of Black young people in this field, it’s imperative.

    I can’t help recall back in 1995 it was said in mainsteam media that there will be a computer in every household, and that was growing exponentially. At that time young Black men were being persecuted by U.S police for bits of weed and crack while ignoring white folks strung out on meth and heroin. What an opportunity to turn things around by beefing up training for the insurgence of computers. Instead, then president Clinton, went out of his way and opted to relax immigration laws for Silicone Valley to import thousands of techs from India, and instead of targeting young Black men to take up the slack, he lobbied congress for 90,000 more police, billions to build lots of prisons and embarked on this path of MAS INCARCERATION of Black men.

    You are now starting what they failed to do. Please take it further, encourage and mentor at least 2 young Blacks into IT.

  2. kuto
    May 21, 2020

    kudos Dr. Nuff Respect.

  3. gods child
    May 20, 2020

    Well done Doctor Smith. Most Domicians become high achievers when given the opportunity for higher education. You have made all of us proud. I can understand the choice in the Bay Area in Nothern Cali. You have the choice to do whatever makes you happy be your own person. We usually hear of Apple, FB, Google and others when Silicon is mentioned. That’s an excellent choice, the Computer history Musem and NASA research center is also there. I can foresee you excelling all these these GURU’S and you becoming one of the greatest. Your life has just started keep pushing. I will look at the STOCK MARKET more frequent to add you to my portfolio. Proud of you young man. God bless you.

  4. Life Ain’t No Joke
    May 19, 2020

    Congratulations Dr. Smith!!! You have been diligent in doing the heavy lifting and hard work required for high level success.

    I am sure you (and your family) have made countless, difficult sacrifices to help propel you along your journey.

    Glad to see a brother of the soil maximizing his YAH given talents to achieve at such a high level.

    Well done young man!!!

    • Barbara Saunders
      May 20, 2020

      Excellent young man!

      Dominicans can take their place among the best anywhere. I love it! Just love to see and hear positive things about my country and its people.

      Well done Dr. Smith and so youthful looking too!

  5. De Observer
    May 19, 2020

    Congratulations Dr. Smith. You have made us proud once more. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

  6. RastarMarn
    May 19, 2020

    Ok so can you bring to Dominica what you have learned instead of giving Silicone Valley all your Vigor???

    It’s merely an opinion but nuff respect to the MyBoy but if you cannot bring back to Dominica a little bit of that Knowledge to better your Soil den Marn doh have no respect for you yeh,,,

    Man Like Gates and Jobs and even Zuckerberg all came back to give their community a little of their spoils yeh so doh make mistaDem exploit you,,,

    Home is Home yeh no matter where you go and make it big if all else Fail is Home you have to go so just keep that in Mind Bro,,,

    Marn done know already all the backlash Marn gonna get for this Oped but oh well Marn sure some people thinking it but they cannot come here and say it,,,

    But wait nuh how come Skerrit didn’t snatch mista up, aren’t they suppose to be adding some IT sector to deir cabinet portfolio???

    • The Truth
      May 20, 2020

      When you have a job for him. A job in his field where he will not be under paid and cannot afford to pay back all his loans for going to school and stilk be able to live comfortable. Then he wilk come back. Allu people have to much guts. Come back an do what. So much people unemplyed here and you want him to come back? So many students who go an study get big degree and come back an work in an under paying field, most times a field that they did not even study for and their degree and knowledge is sitting on a shelf making dust. Come out there eh with your come back dominica. Whe the government start creating serious jobs that pays right.people that going an study will gladly come back.

  7. ANMJS
    May 18, 2020

    Congratulations Dr. Francis Anthony Smith! Highest praise, thanks and honor to God the Most High for this achievement. Special thanks and congratulations to the Model Pre-School, St. Mary’s Primary, St. Mary’s Academy, CUNY, University of Rochester and all those people who made it possible to make this a reality for Francis. We applaud and salute you for reaching your goals. May God continue to bless you daily, triumphantly. We love you. Handshakes, hugs, cheers, kisses and smiles to everyone. Once again, thank you! Proud parents and sister.

  8. Now4Now
    May 18, 2020

    Thank you for sharing this news. Makes a positive change from the usual media stories that seem to love telling good people bad news…Congratulations, keep doing what you are doing and best wishes in navigating the sharks of Silly Con Valley

  9. Unknown
    May 18, 2020

    Congrats young man, well done sir

  10. Da Girl
    May 18, 2020

    Whoop whoop!! Our sons and daughters of the soil are shining brightly!! Congratulations and thank you for making us so proud!!

  11. Anansi
    May 18, 2020

    What a pity. Another brilliant son of the soil lost again, due to the utter incompetencies of this current regime

    • John hope
      May 18, 2020

      You to d#m political, sounds like you still suffering from the 18-3.

  12. Dominican
    May 18, 2020

    Well done young man and congratulations to your parents.

  13. Ibo France
    May 17, 2020

    Hard work usually pays off. Excellent achievement! I hope this inspires more young sons and daughters of the soil to aspire to unprecedented heights. Congratulations Dr. Smith, well deserved.

  14. Shaka zulu
    May 17, 2020

    Outstanding!!! This is just the tip of our capabilities as a people. Keep making yourself and family proud. It is good to see a dominican male out there achieving great things. The power of roll models and influence on the young is real. The more they see others looking like them accomplishing great things the more they believe in themselves and their capabilities. This helps remove the inferiority complex which we so greatly suffer from. Keep it up young man you earned through your hard work and not simply paying money to be called Dr.

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