Dr. Cynthia P. King has been a Furman faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies since 2006. Before coming to Furman, she taught at American University, Washington D.C. Race, public discourse, and media are her current research interests. She teaches courses in public speaking, rhetoric, African American rhetoric, and race and media.  She co- created and co-led the Ghana Study Away May X in 2017. In 2015, she was awarded Furman’s Meritorious Teaching Award. She served as chair of the department from 2015-2020 during which time Communication Studies emerged a departmental leader in implementing the university’s groundbreaking Furman Advantage initiative. 

Dr. King is a graduate of the HERS Leadership Institute, a fellow of the Riley Diversity Leadership Initiative, 2020 & 2021 Visiting Professor for the Association of National Advertisers, and a board member for Jasmine Road, a residential program for survivors of addiction and sexual exploitation. 

\Beyond her work in the academy, Dr. King is founder of Encourage Communication and has led numerous communication workshops for corporate, institutional, and educational, organizations which include Furman University’s Women’s Leadership Institute, The White Riley Peterson Fellowship Program, Furman University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, The Hope Leadership Program sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Academy for Educational Development (AED), the McNair Scholars Programs at the University of Maryland and American University,  and Sage Automotive Interiors, Gregory Pest Control.

Honors

• Recipient of Alester G. Furman, Jr., and Janie Earle Furman Meritorious Teaching Award, Furman University, 2015

Education

• Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park
• M.A., Auburn University
• B.A., Auburn University