Education

B.A., English and French, Furman University
M.M.C., University of South Carolina

Academic Interests

Kelly Davis' interests include public health policy, corporate social responsibility, and ethics in public relations practice.

Teaching

Davis brings more than 20 years of professional public relations experience into the classroom. With a professional background spanning the agency, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors, she engages students in understanding the wide variety of opportunities available to them in public relations while preparing them to enter a rapidly-changing profession. Her classes involve collaborative, team-based, hands-on learning with a focus on strategy and creative problem-solving in the context of real-world application.

Service

Davis' service to the public relations profession includes more than 20 years of leadership with the Public Relations Society of America, including the PRSA National Board of Directors (2013-14); president of the South Carolina Chapter (2002 and 2017); secretary of the Southeast District (2012); National Professional Advisor (2016-2018) to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA); and a member of the PRSA Educators Academy. She is the faculty advisor for USC’s award-winning chapter of PRSSA.

Personal

Davis has received more than 50 awards for effective public relations campaigns and tactics including four Best in Show Awards from the South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (SCPRSA). She was the 2007 recipient of SCPRSA's W. Thomas Duke Distinguished Public Relations Practitioner of the Year Award.

In 2015, the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications recognized her as one of its Distinguished Alumni. Prior to joining the faculty, Davis served on the School of Journalism's Professional Advisory Board.

Davis is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board.

In 2020, she was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, an honorary organization within PRSA comprised of more than 350 senior professionals and educators, each of whom has left a significant footprint on the public relations profession.