"My goals include providing support to faculty and staff as we work to provide the highest quality clinical pathology services for patients throughout University of Utah Health and nationally via ARUP Laboratories."
The Department of Pathology is pleased to announce that Kristi Smock, MD will assume a new leadership role as the Associate Chief of the Clinical Pathology Division beginning July 1, 2026.
A native Utahn, Dr. Smock received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Utah State University and her medical degree from the University of Utah. She joined the Pathology Department in 2003 as a Resident in Pathology, followed by a fellowship in Hematopathology. She is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Hematopathology, and serves as both the Vice President of Research and Development and as the Medical Director in the Hemostasis/Thrombosis Laboratory at ARUP Laboratories. When she officially takes on her new role of Associate Division Chief, Dr. Smock will transition out of her role as VP of R&D at ARUP after four years of being in the position.
Dr. Smock has made many great contributions within the Department of Pathology, including serving as the Residency Program Director. Residents have awarded her with the Outstanding Teaching Award in Clinical Pathology three times throughout her career, and she has been the recipient of both the Bill Roberts Award for Clinical Excellence in Laboratory Medicine and the Joseph A. Knight Award for Excellence in Education.
Recently, Dr. Smock has served as a fellow in the 2025-2026 Hedwig van Amerigen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (ELAM). ELAM is a prestigious year-long part-time national leadership fellowship for faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health, and pharmacy. The program is dedicated to developing the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage in today's complex health care environment. More than 1600 ELAM alumni hold leadership positions in institutions around the world.
"Faculty development and mentorship are important to me and I'm excited that this role will allow me to engage in faculty recruitment, retention, and career development."
In her new role, Dr. Smock will share responsibilities in leading the Clinical Pathology Division alongside Division Chief Julio C. Delgado, MD, MS.
"I'm looking forward to a lot of things in this role including working with our excellent faculty to continue the success of our outstanding department and contributing to the clinical, research, and educational missions of the department and university," Dr. Smock said. "I also have a goal to sustain and enhance alignment across the clinical, educational, and research missions, which is a consistent challenge in our rapidly growing and evolving system."
Dr. Smock grew up in Benson, a small town in Cache Valley, Utah, where she spent a lot of time outdoors, taking care of pets, and making lifelong friends. Outside of work she is a frequent concert-goer, an avid Zumba fan, and enjoys paddleboarding and spending time with her friends and family. One thing she loves about having two daughters, one of whom is a recent high-school graduate, is "watching them develop new interests and skills," Dr Smock says. "They both love scary movies right now and my younger daughter is a talented artist." An animal lover through and through, Dr. Smock has several pets including a dog, two cats, a hamster, and two turtles!
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Smock on her new role!