Dr. Cory B. Cunningham is a Communication Instructor in the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado – Boulder. She received her Ph.D. (Organizational Communication, Risk/Crisis Communication; 2009) from the University of Oklahoma, her M.A. (Instructional Communication, Health Communication; 2004) from Texas State University, and her B.A. (Psychology, 1998) from the University of Colorado – Boulder.

Prior to entering academia, Cory worked in the corporate office of Wyndham, Inc. as the Investor Relations Specialist. Acting as the liaison between corporate executives, the media, and the public, she gained valuable insight into the power and necessity of effective communication in the business world.

Cory has taught numerous graduate (e.g., Organizational Communication, Crisis Communication, Training & Development, Persuasive Campaigns, Research Methods, Interpersonal Communication) and undergraduate (e.g., Communication Strategy, Fundamentals of Communication, Public Speaking, Communication Theory, Business & Professional Communication, Research Methods, Training & Development, Small Group Communication) Communication courses.

Cory’s current research interests focus on the role communication plays in preparing for and responding to crises, establishing and/or changing organizational culture, organizational trust, employee motivation, and effective leadership. She has also conducted research in the areas of instructional communication, gender and diversity in the workplace, and social support. Cory has presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences and published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals including the International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, Journal of Applied Psychology, Communication Education, and the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

In addition to her teaching and research, Cory places great emphasis on community involvement. She has served as a consultant and provided training workshops for organizations to assist with issues such as, strategic alignment, changing the organizational culture, employee retention, working with millennials, accountability, and effective management.