Staff Profile

Head shot of a smiling Matthew Smith wearing a shirt looking directly into the camera

Dr Matthew Smith

Biography

Before joining Buckinghamshire New University in 2011, I was Associate Professor at Liverpool Hope University, having also taught at Liverpool John Moores University, Oxford Brookes University and Regent’s University, London.

I studied for my first degree in applied psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, and my PhD on the psychology of ‘luck’ at the University of Hertfordshire, under the supervision of Professor Richard Wiseman.  I continue to explore the concept of luck from a psychological perspective, with a focus on ways we might influence our experiences of luck. My specialist areas of interest are positive psychology, applied social psychology, and exceptional human experience.  My work allows me to explore those areas of human experience and capability that make life worth living from a range of perspectives.

My specialist knowledge has led me to work on a range of projects from acting as a consultant and contributor to a variety of unusual television and media projects, to supporting leadership teams across Government Departments working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of my career highlights to date was being asked to give a public talk on the psychology of luck at the Royal Institution.

View my Research Repository here.