To a majority of the student body, he is that guy who asks to take your picture to put on Baker University’s Instagram page. As of this semester, Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Smith is also an instructor for a Mass Media and Society class.

After graduating from Baker University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in mass media. Smith continued to earn his master’s degree in strategic communication from the University of Southern California-Annenberg.

“It had never been my plan until Dr. Watson approached me about it,” Smith said. “To be honest it was a hugely flattering deal for me. I was really honored because I think so highly of Dr. Watson and Professor Bostwick because I had them as professors.”

Joe Watson, chair of the Mass Media and Visual Arts Department, taught Smith at Baker.

“Chris was an outstanding student in all of his classes and emerged as a real student leader,” Watson said. “He has a great personality and his classmates really liked him, and I see that translating now into his role as a professor.”

Before taking his current positions at Baker, Smith wrote for traditional newspapers and magazines in the Lawrence and Kansas City area where he did a lot of freelance work in the areas of branding and copywriting.

“As I think of my 10-to-11 years here at Baker and all of the students I have had in classes he is in, without question, the top three of the best writers I’ve ever had in class,” Watson said.

In addition to teaching, Smith is keeping busy with marketing and public relations.

“We have completely revamped our social media presence and we are redesigning the entire Baker University website, which has been a long process,” Smith said.

Smith, along with his Mass Media and Society class, were recently responsible for the “BakeOver.” As a reward for winning a Jeopardy-style game used to review for a test, a group of students in Smith’s class were given access to Baker University’s Instagram for a weekend and created a Baker University Snapchat. Student-generated content is one experiment Smith is using to promote Baker University on social media.

Smith believes his first semester is going better than expected.

“The 50 minutes I’m with my students is the best part of my day every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” he said. “It’s one of those things that as a marketing director and a PR person, the energy that I get just from interacting with the students and sort of seeing first-hand the Baker experience is so awesome and really fulfilling.”

Sophomore and mass media major Krista Porter is one of Smith’s students this semester.

“I think he is more open when it comes to his teaching,” Porter said. “He goes with the flow. Whatever the class vibe is for the day, he works his lesson around that so that we actually find it interesting and want to listen. I like that he involves us in the learning process. He doesn’t just talk at us, but he allows us to form our own thoughts on things.”

Smith makes sure his class is different and enjoyable to his students. He uses all forms of media, including television ads, newspapers, social media and magazines.

“I try to put a lot into my lectures and the flow of the class and not just talk in front of people for 50 minutes,” Smith said.

Plenty of his current students have made it clear they plan to take another one of Smith’s classes.

“It makes absolute perfect sense that [Smith] is in the classroom,” Watson said. “Everything I’m hearing from students is incredibly positive. My office is right next door to the classroom, and every time when his class meets the laughter that comes through the wall into my office is unbelievable.”