Pallavi Kumar Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer Public Communication
- Degrees
- B.A., CLEG and Public Communication, American University (magna cum laude); Master's, Public Relations/Corporate Communications, Georgetown University
- Bio
- Pallavi 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 Expedia, Washington English Center, ALDI, the League of Women Voters DC, 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 at FleishmanHillard, Ketchum and Ruder Finn among others. Kumar co-authored Public Relations Case Studies published by Cengage and was featured in Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership published by the PRSA Foundation. In 2023, she was awarded the Outstanding Teaching in a Full-Time Appointment award. 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. In 2015, she received the Outstanding Service to the University Community. PRWeek named her to the 2017 Global Power Book - a list of the world’s most influential PR professionals. 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. She has been teaching at AU for 22 years.
- See Also
- SOC3
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Teaching
Summer 2024
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COMM-646 Strategic Communication Pract
Fall 2024
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COMM-346 Public Relations Case Studies
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COMM-420 Topics in Mass Media: Storytelling Changemakers Exp
Spring 2025
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COMM-346 Public Relations Case Studies
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COMM-389 Storytelling Changemakers Exp
AU Experts
Area of Expertise
Public relations, social media, digital strategic communications, crisis communications, health communications, social marketing, popular culture, public communication education
Additional Information
An AU alumna, Pallavi Damani Kumar has more than 15 years' experience in public relations. She has worked at Fleishman Hillard as a vice president in the firm's social marketing practice. While there, she worked on a social marketing campaign for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Before that, Kumar was an associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she led international public relations activities for several products. Before joining Wyeth, she was a vice president and account supervisor in Ketchum Public Relations's healthcare practice, where she was responsible for developing strategic communication plans, implementing consumer media campaigns, coordinating media events, serving as client contact, and managing an account team. She has been published in the Washington Post and USA Today.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.