Rory O’Neill Schmitt, PhD is an author, film producer, and university administrator. 
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A researcher with over 15 years of experience, Dr. Schmitt centers her inquiry on pedagogy, identity, art, and community. 

A published author, Dr. Schmitt is represented by Linda Langton of Langtons International Agency in New York City.  ​
​Rory Schmitt manages faculty development the University of Southern California Bovard College,
 
Rory has over a decade of university teaching experience. She served as a lecturer in the Academic Success Programs at Arizona State University, where she taught and adapted mindset theory to at-risk and probationary students. Her research showed that successful completion of these courses bolstered retention and graduation.
 
Rory has presented her research and teaching strategies at conferences, both nationally and internationally. A published author, her articles and book chapters have appeared in the realms of education and higher education. Additionally, she has published two books with Arcadia Publishing and The History Press: Navajo and Hopi Art in Arizona: Continuing Traditions (2016) and New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History (January 2019).
 
Prior to her university work, Rory supported the wellbeing of children, teens, and adults using the conduit of expressive arts. A board-certified art therapist, she directed a department of adjunctive therapists in rehabilitation programs in southern California. She also served as president of the Arizona Art Therapy Association, where she advocated for the state licensure initiative and spoke at the capital.
 
Rory earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction Studies from Arizona State University, an MPS in Professional Studies from the School of Visual Arts, and a BA in Art History from Fordham University.
 
In her home community in Scottsdale, Arizona, she volunteers at the food pantry of the Oasis Community Church and also is a blood donor. She resides with her husband, two children, and two French bulldogs.
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