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Photograph of Pallavi Kumar

Pallavi Kumar Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer Public Communications

Degrees
B.A., CLEG and Public Communication, American University (magna cum laude); Master's, Public Relations/Corporate Communications, Georgetown University

Bio
Pallavi Damani Kumar is a full-time professor in American University’s School of Communication and the faculty director of SOC3, an integrated creative agency within the school. 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.
See Also
SOC3
Faculty Profile Video
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Spring 2024

  • COMM-346 Public Relations Case Studies

  • COMM-420 Topics in Mass Media: Storytelling Changemakers Exp

Summer 2024

  • COMM-646 Strategic Communication Pract

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.

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