After earning his Ph.D. in Religious Studies in 2010, Will Smith started working as an academic advisor at IU Bloomington. Being a graduate student in Religious Studies, both in general and teaching opportunities it offered in particular, provided him with many transferrable skills and experiences applicable to advising. The research and writing skills, for instance, helped him to publish several pieces on academic advising. Over time he has taken on more leadership roles in the advising community: serving two terms as the president of the Bloomington Academic Advising Council, being promoted to assistant director of advising for the College of Arts and Sciences at IU in 2016, and being one of the inaugural advisory board members for the Journal of Academic Advising. Outside of his day job, Will is in active in local politics and was elected to a seat on the Van Buren Township Board in 2018. Additionally, he has published a number of essays and book chapters related to Religious Studies, including an essay in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, since graduation.