Kimberly Gray Smith was an American biologist born in Manchester, Connecticut in 1948. Smith received his Bachelor of Science at Tufts University (1971), a Master of Science from the University of Arkansas (U of A) (1975), and Doctor of Philosophy from Utah State University (1982). He served as research associate at Manomet Bird Observatory in Maine from 1977-1980 and was a post-graduate research ecologist at Bodega Marine Lab at the University of California-Berkley in 1980 and 1981. Smith started an official teaching position at U of A in 1981 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Zoology and served in various assistant teaching roles at U of A and Utah State while earning his degrees. In 1985, he became Assistant Professor of Zoology, followed by several promotions which led to him becoming Professor of Biological Sciences in 1992. From 2004 to 2008, Smith served as Departmental Chair of Biological Sciences and in 2009 he was promoted to University Professor of Biological Sciences. In 2015, he was promoted to Distinguished Professor.

Smith's research focused primarily on terrestrial ecology, including black bears, birds, and bugs. He and his students spent decades collecting data on those species, the results of which can be found in publications, field journals and notes, and student work. Smith received many honors and awards throughout his academic career. Some highlights include being a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, J. William Fulbright College research awards, becoming a Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU), Commissioner of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, and Treasurer for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Smith was also involved in several professional organizations and served a variety of roles such as officer, editor, and organizer. From 2000 to 2004, he was editor in chief of "The Auk" (renamed "Ornithology" in 2021, a peer-reviewed scientific journal from the American Ornithological Society). He also worked collaboratively for decades on the Arkansas Breeding Bird Atlas. Smith published a wide array of articles, book chapters, and papers at professional meetings regarding biology from the 1970s until his death in 2018, having published approximately 300 professional publications. He taught over a dozen courses in Zoology and Biology at U of A, and consistently received high marks and praises during annual student evaluations of his teaching. Smith taught at the University for 37 years before his death on April 9th, 2018.