Dr. Eric N. Smith is a research associate at the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute (TxBSPI) and a student engagement fellow in the Office of STEM Education Excellence (STEMx) at UT Austin. He received his PhD and MA in social psychology from Stanford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Austin. His research examines how socially constructed identities (i.e., “What do others think of me?”) impact motivation and performance, and the strategies college instructors can use to promote students’ belonging and success in STEM.