SOC3 Faculty

Professor Pallavi Kumar, SOC3 Faculty Director

Communication and faculty director of AU’s Gen Z agency, SOC3.

Pallavi Damani Kumar is a Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer in American University’s School of Communication and the former Division Director for the Public Communication division. In the fall of 2022, she launched SOC3, an integrated creative agency within the School of Communication to provide students from all SOC majors an opportunity for experiential learning. With the goal of diversifying the communications industry, the cohorts work with actual clients including The Home Depot, Butter Me Up, DC Central Kitchen, the 11th Street Bridge Park and the Bring Our Families Home Campaign.

Prior to teaching full time, Kumar gained more than 20 years experience in the public relations industry having worked as a vice president in Fleishman Hillard's social marketing practice in Washington, DC, a vice president/account supervisor in Ketchum's healthcare practice in New York as well as associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Philadelphia. She began her career in environmental communication at Ruder Finn in Washington, DC.

Kumar co-authored the ninth edition of Public Relations Case Studies published by Cengage. Her articles and commentary have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today and PRWeek. In 2015, she received the Outstanding Service to the University Community from American University. PRWeek named her to the 2017 Global Power Book - a list of the world’s most influential PR professionals. She was profiled in a chapter of the book Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership published by the PRSA Foundation and Museum of PR. She has served as a judge for the PRWeek Awards since 2014.

She graduated magna cum laude from American University with a degree in public affairs and public communication. She received her master’s degree in public relations/corporate communications from Georgetown University.

In 2023, she was awarded the Outstanding Teaching in a Full-Time Appointment award by American University. Also in 2023, she was the faculty advisor for a group of students who placed second in the prestigious global Arthur Page Case Study Competition for their case study "The Starbucks Union Boom: How a Pro-Worker Employer Became a Union Target." In 2015, she received the Outstanding Service to the University Community from American University. PRWeek named her to the 2017 Global Power Book - a list of the world’s most influential PR professionals. She was most recently profiled in a chapter of the book Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership published by the PRSA Foundation and Museum of PR. She has served as a judge for the PRWeek Awards since 2014.

She graduated magna cum laude from American University with a degree in public affairs and public communication. She received her master’s degree in public relations/corporate communications from Georgetown University.

If you are interested in more information, please get in touch by contacting Pallavi Kumar.

Recognition

  • Pallavi Kumar was a featured speaker at Allison + Partners webinar, “If Culture Had a Crystal Ball - The Science to Measuring Cultural Relevance” on Tuesday, August 8th from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

  • Pallavi Kumar was a panelist for the DEI Series: Leading with Certainty sponsored by AARP and Syracuse University among others. She spoke on the panel "Where’s the “B” in DE&I?: A discussion of "belonging" in a sharply divided world and the role of strategic advisors in advising clients on DEI issues."

  • Pallavi Kumar spoke at the National Communication Association's 109th annual convention Opening Session: Engaging Communities: The Power of Communication in Catalyzing Social Change along with professors from Gallaudet University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Howard University.

  • Pallavi Kumar was a panelist for CTRL’s annual Ann Ferren conference, "Yes We Can": Experiential Learning from 1st-year Students through Grad School”

  • Pallavi Kumar was a panelist for the AEJMC panel titled, “Methods and Modes in Student-Run Agencies: Integrative Learning, the CPRE Report, and SRAs” on February 2nd from 2 pm to 3 pm EST. This panel discussed Student-Run Agencies with “special” formulation and Pallavi will present her work with SOC3. The panel is stacked: from a truly integrated model with tv, radio, and strat comm elements, to a firm dedicated to “enacting real change” in the field of communications, public schools, and private schools. Speakers will present a diverse subset of specialty firms that have emerged from the rest of the SRA pack so that others interested in this model can decide if specialization or collaboration is the right move for integrative learning with their SRA.

  • Pallavi Kumar moderated the keynote event for first Spirit of Change Week: An Evening with Stephanie Hsu. The discussion explored the theme "Making Art Better for Everyone." Through her experiences in theater and film, Stephanie will share insights on diversity and creating change in the arts. It is sponsored in part by AU SOC and SOC3.

  • Pallavi Kumar will also be a panelist at PRWeek’s upcoming Crisis Communications conference in April. Her panel is titled, "The Misinformation and Disinformation Emergency," and she will be featured along with speakers from Blackbird AI and CBS News.

  • Pallavi Kumar was asked to moderate a panel with senior communicators at the Plank Center Summit in Chicago this November.