Among just more than a handful of African-American female athletic directors at NCAA Division I schools, the leader of the UC Irvine Athletics Department acknowledges that she is carrying the flag for minorities and women in her field.

But to best serve as inspiration for others aspiring to follow her path, Paula Smith, named June 6 as the school's ninth athletic director, said that is merely one of myriad responsibilities her new position presents.

"I had an opportunity to come through a program the NCAA started that supported minorities and women in sport," said Smith, 53, who has spent 14 of her 30 years in athletic administration at UCI. "I want to be in a role in which young people who aspire to be in the business can actually visualize someone doing this [athletic director] job."

Smith is the latest of seven African American women in that chair at NCAA Division I schools, according to data provided by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. She is among 40 female athletic directors at NCAA Division I institutions and is the second woman to hold the athletic director title at UCI. Linda Dempsey, who served as director of athletics at UCI from 1977 to 1983, was the first female AD in NCAA Division I history.

"I run into Linda here and there and she still attends UCI sporting events," Smith said. "When I got the job [in June], she sent me a congratulatory note giving me her well-wishes. I was really pleased and honored to receive that."

Smith is also uplifted by the challenge ahead. While discussing her plans for UCI athletics, the term "moving forward" was a recurring theme.

"I have served as interim AD [at UCI, most recently since 2018 until her hire, and previously from 2007 to 2008], so I believe this current role is something I feel I will be effective in," Smith said. "When you are actually the athletic director, you help shape the culture, tone, and vision of the department. That is intriguing to me."

Smith, who began her career as a student worker in the athletic office at New Mexico State, from which she obtained a degree in marketing, began at the Big West Conference office in 1988 as a compliance intern. She moved up the ladder to eventually become an assistant commissioner for the Big West, before being hired by then-UCI athletic director Dan Guerrero as assistant AD for academic and student services in 2000.

After one year at UCI, she was recruited by then-UC Riverside athletic director Stan Morrison to join the Highlanders as associate AD. She then became a senior associate AD at UCI in 2006 and served as an executive associate AD from 2008 to 2012. She was then promoted to deputy director of intercollegiate athletics, a job she held until topping a national search to replace former UCI AD Mike Izzi.

"I've always loved athletics and early on in my professional career, it crystalized that I liked intercollegiate athletics and higher education," Smith said. "I really enjoyed my experience in the conference office, but moving onto a campus was even more fulfilling. Working with student-athletes is why I do this job. We are moving students forward in their education and into the next 40 years of their lives. Also, the population changes every four years and that creates energy and excitement. Working with student-athletes and in college sports, I felt like I was in my dream. Coming to work every day has always been exciting for me."

Smith said she is still formulating the vision for carrying UCI athletics forward, and believes that open communication with her staff, coaches and student-athletes will provide valuable input in shaping that vision.

Smith cites increasing scholarships, which includes funding for out-of-state scholarships as well as rounding out full in-state funding for all programs, improving student-athlete welfare, such as mental health and nutritional guidance and serving operational needs like recruiting and travel budgets and facility upgrades as priorities. She knows finding new revenue streams is also a crucial element in the department's strategic plan and is eager to discover and pursue what she termed big ideas.

"We want to be a top mid-major program and be near the top of the Division I Directors Cup [an annual award given to the top overall program for non-football schools]," Smith said. "I want our programs to win conference championships and earn opportunities to compete in NCAA championships. I would like for our track record of success to manifest in our recruits seeing Irvine as a first choice."