Resume

• 2009

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  Sociology

  University of South Carolina-Columbia

• 2007

  Master of Arts

  Masters Thesis:\nNEW PROFESSIONALS IN A DEINDUSTRIALIZED CITY

  Sociology

  Graduate Assistant

  Fall 2009-Present

  Patrick Nolan

  Ph D.\nGraduate Assistant

  Fall 2007-Spring 2009

  Paul Higgns

  Ph D.\nGraduate Assistant

  Fall 2008-Spring 2009

  Shelley A. Smitch

  Ph D.\nGraduate Assistant

  Spring 2008

  Elena Vesselinov

  Ph D.\nGraduate Assistant

  Fall 2007

  Brent Simpson

  Ph D.\nVice President

  SGSA

  Fall 2009-Present\nMember

  USC SGSA

  Fall 2007-Present\nChair

  SGSA IM Co-Rec Softball Team

  Fall 2008

• 2003

  2007\tB.A

  Thesis: "Too Much Politics or Too Much Beer": Investigating Cultural Interaction in a Mixed American Indian and Caucasian Community\n\n\tAdvisor: Kristin Park\n\nRESEARCH INTERESTS\n\nUrban Sociology\tOccupational Mobility\tQualitative Methods\nStratification\tTeaching Methods\tNarratives\n\nTRAINING/CERTIFICATIONS\n\n2011\tPreparing Future Faculty Program

  USC Center for Teaching Excellence

  Political Science

  Westminster College

  Bachelor of Arts

  “Too Much Politics or Too Much Beer”: Investigating Cultural Interaction in a Mixed American Indian and Caucasian Community

  Political Science

  Sociology

  Ireland Travel Course

  Spring 2005\nSierra Student Coalition\n\tOrganizational President – Spring 2004\n\tDrafted Coalition constitution\n\tSecretary and Historian for 2004-2005 academic year\nStudent Government Association

  Senator\n\tBoard of Trustees Nominating Committee

  Member\n\tAcademics Committee

  Member\n\tJudicial Committee

  Member\nCampus Green Party \n\tSecretary 2004-2005 academic year

• 1999

  Slippery Rock Area High School

• SPSS

  Qualitative Research

  Community Outreach

  Politics

  Public Speaking

  Teaching

  Microsoft PowerPoint

  Urban Sociology

  Student Development

  Student Affairs

  Quantitative Research

  Social Media

  Data Analysis

  University Teaching

  Place Branding

  Social Stratification

  Higher Education

  Statistics

  Grant Writing

  Research

  Surfing the yinzernet: Exploring the complexities of place branding in post-industrial Pittsburgh

  We argue that online representations of yinzer culture – the ‘yinzernet’ – function as both DIY urban branding and as a reflection of local reactions to Pittsburgh’s economic

  social and brand transition.

  Surfing the yinzernet: Exploring the complexities of place branding in post-industrial Pittsburgh

  Two colleagues and I discuss our experiences walking through New Orleans neighborhoods one afternoon after the Urban Affairs Conference.

  Strolling New Orleans

  The debate about the confederate flag on the grounds of the South Carolina State House reminds us of the power of the symbols we put in our places

  and the way we talk about those symbols and those places.

  Social (Re)Construction of Place in Columbia

  South Carolina

  Through this set of materials students listen to an engaging interview about detailed reporting on local subsidies and explore an interactive map revealing local subsidy policies. The materials include a lecture outline for teaching these concepts with reference to works of relevant urban sociologists. Uneven development is often a critical concept in urban sociology courses

  and is used to discuss how spatial inequality emerges from the unequal distribution of capital across space. Subsidies are policies which create incentives for local investment and can contribute to these inequalities. This set of materials explores how policy

  especially subsidies

  can exacerbate uneven development by creating a “race to the bottom” in which the incentives provided may reduce the overall benefit of increased investment for localities offering subsidies. These materials illustrate the writings of Engels

  Lefebvre

  and Harvey on uneven patterns of capital investment

  and Logan and Molotch on growth coalition activities. Because the interactive materials guide students to engage with information about the subsidy policies of their local governments

  many students become very engaged with the material and more interested in spatial inequality and the policy decisions of their representatives.

  Subsidies

  Uneven Development

  and the Race to the Bottom

  Mark Gottdiener

  Randolph Hohle

  Widely recognized as a groundbreaking text

  The New Urban Sociology is a broad and expert introduction to urban sociology that is both relevant and accessible to students. Organized around an integrated paradigm

  the sociospatial perspective

  this text examines the role played by social factors such as race

  class

  gender

  lifestyle

  economics

  and culture on the development of metropolitan areas

  and integrates social

  ecological

  and political economy perspectives and research into this study. With its unique perspective

  concise history of urban life

  clear summary of urban social theory

  and attention to the impact of culture on urban development

  this book gives students a cohesive conceptual framework for understanding cities and urban life.\n\nThe sixth edition of The New Urban Sociology is a major overhaul and expansion of the previous editions. This edition is packed with new material including an expansion of the sociospatial approach to include the primary importance of racism in the formation of the urban landscape

  the spatial aspects of urban social problems

  including the issues surrounding urban public health and affordable housing

  and a brand new chapter on urban social movements. There is also new material on the importance of space for social groups

  including immigrants and the LGBTQ community

  as well as the gendered meanings embedded in social space.

  The New Urban Sociology

  6th Edition

  Reflections on my working class background and my work as I moved into my first office.

  Work to Do

  In this narrative piece I describe my experiences and reflections on working as an enumerator for the 2010 Census. The piece is set within a larger interview with the Director of the Census.

  Behind the Data

  When a talented player misses an opportunity because they did not have a mentor or their family could not afford to travel to a tournament

  all of baseball misses out on that player’s talents. Likewise

  we all miss out when a talented person is unable to make the most of their skills because they did not have a mentor to tell them where and how to look for opportunities

  or because they could not afford tuition at a school where the could have honed their talent

  or because they did not believe in themselves enough to try.

  Sports and Socio-Economic Status: More than Talent Required

  A wide variety of definitions of the working class are in use across disciplines and even within\nworking-class studies (Cohen 2001; Zweig 2001; Metzgar 2003; Wilson 2016; Wilson and\nRoscigno 2018). Responding to Zweig’s (2016) call to maintain continuity in thinking about the\nworking class in working-class studies by recognizing that ‘the working class continues to exist in\ncapitalist societies

  within capitalist class dynamics

  in which the organization of production\nunderlies material

  cultural

  and political experience’ (14)

  I delineate several definitions of the\nworking class and take a close look at three operationalizations of the working class by\noccupational aggregations

  one each suggested by Metzgar (2003) and Cohen (2001) and one I\ndefine

  inspired by Florida (2002). Using 2017 American Community Survey data

  I compare the\ndemographics and geography of the working class through each of these definitions. I illustrate\nthat by many definitions

  the working class is a broad and diverse group of workers who live and\nwork in rural

  urban

  and suburban places

  while inequalities both within the working class and\nbetween it and other social classes remain pressing issues for investigation. This paper provides a\nguide for understanding definitions of the working class that will

  Counting the Working Class for WorkingClass Studies: Comparing Three Occupation Based Definitions

  Place

  the Sociological Imagination

  and Western Pennsylvania

  In order to improve undergraduate students'​ mastery of urban theory

  we developed an active-learning module that allows participants to compete with one another in a board game of strategic planning and coalition formation called \"AudaCity.\"​ Utilizing a games-based learning design

  the game places players in the roles of adversarial property developers

  political actors

  and zoning committees all seeking to build and raise rent from developments within a spatially-constrained urban grid. Game mechanics such as proximity bonuses and limitations to available space compel players to simultaneously compete against and collaborate with their peers to advance their development agenda while thwarting rival projects in the hopes of generating more wealth than their competitors. The game is an urban environment organically generated from the accumulation of players'​ decisions. We delineate the game's mechanics and place the game within the larger context of game-based learning and serious games. We hope that this active-learning module can demonstrate the effectiveness of allowing undergraduate students to master urban theory through the negotiated construction of their own urban space and inspire future instructors to return games-based learning to urban studies. We draw on qualitative data from several courses in which AudaCity was implemented to demonstrate its effectiveness in facilitating student learning. With data from several instances in which AudaCity was used in undergraduate courses and writing assignments completed by students after playing the game

  we find that playing AudaCity helps students be able to discuss urban studies models and theories clearly and connect these models and theories to both their game experiences and relevant situations in real-world cities

  Teaching with AudaCity: A Board Game for Urban Studies

  Before January’s Super Bowl

  leaders of the Pittsburgh and Wisconsin Technology Councils made wagers involving a robot

  a video game

  and “green gasoline

  ” in addition to the typical snacks and beer. Both regions viewed the big game as an opportunity to redefine their cultural identity.

  Wagering on New Regional Identities

  Place character is a modern concept in urban sociology that is a critical piece for understanding how processes of economic development can be rooted in socially constructed subjective understandings of place characteristics. Because understanding the processes from which place character emerges implies dealing with social constructions and subjective understandings

  it is often a challenging concept for students in urban sociology courses to work with. Through this set of materials

  students read leading scholarship (Paulsen

  2004) delineating the place character concept

  work with this concept in class discussion

  and then apply the place character concept to a documentary which illustrates examples of place character being uniquely expressed through large sculptures in small towns across the US. These large sculptures are roadside attractions which local residents often hope will attract visitors and drive economic investment in these

  often economically struggling

  communities. Situated within broader study of economic development processes and an understanding of globalization

  this assignment may function as a critical counterpoint to optimistic narratives about urban investment in creativity and technological innovation by asking students to reflect on places struggling to attract such investment. This material is relevant for urban sociology and rural sociology courses. The steps of this material are as follows: 1) Students read Paulsen’s (2004) “Making Character Concrete” prior to class. 2)\tIn-class lecture and discussion on concept of place character 3) Students read King and Cazessus’s (2012) review of World’s Largest

  “Small Town

  Big Totem.” 4)\tStudents watch World’s Largest. 5)\tStudents complete video assignment.

  World’s Largests: Understanding Expressions of Place Character and Efforts to Attract Economic Investment

  This paper describes a story-sharing program

  called Our Stories

  in which faculty and staff at a regional comprehensive university share their personal experiences about attending college as first-generation

  working class

  or financially insecure (FGWCFI) students with an audience of undergraduate students of various backgrounds. Using preliminary qualitative and quantitative data

  we find evidence that these programs validate the experience of these student attendees and build their social

  cultural

  and psychological capital. This paper reviews literature on outreach to first-generation students

  provides an overview of the story-sharing program

  discusses how these events support student success

  and suggests that such outreach efforts may replicate well at other state comprehensive universities

  Story Sharing for First-Generation College Students Attending a Regional Comprehensive University: Campus Outreach to Validate Students and Develop Forms of Capital

  Notes from a Field Worker/Tourist in Las Vegas

  This paper reports the development and implementation of a board game and active-learning module that allows participants to compete with one another in strategic planning and coalition formation called “AudaCity.” This paper provides an overview of the game’s mechanics and places the game within the larger context of games-based learning and serious games. Utilizing a games-based learning design

  the game puts players in the roles of adversarial property developers

  political actors

  and zoning committees all seeking to build and raise rent from developments within a spatially constrained urban grid. The paper draws on evidence from several undergraduate courses in which AudaCity was used to demonstrate that after playing AudaCity students were able to apply urban studies concepts\nand theories to their games and generalize to relevant situations in real-world cities. The authors also suggest ways in which the AudaCity module could facilitate learning in educational environments beyond the urban studies classroom.

  Teaching with AudaCity: A Board Game for Urban Studies

  King

  Westminster College

  Bridgewater State University

  Elephant &Castle Pub

  Roly Poly

  Moraine Camplands Association

  University of South Carolina

  University of South Carolina Upstate

  Moraine Camplands Association

  Resident Assistant

  Westminster College

  Bicycle Courier

  I deliver sandwiches to folks around downtown Columbia by bicycle.

  Roly Poly

  Bridgewater State University

  Bridgewater State University

  Elephant &Castle Pub

  University of South Carolina Upstate

  Spartanburg

  SC

  Assistant Professor

  University of South Carolina

  American Sociological Association

  Working Class Studies Association

  Membership Committee

  Urban Affairs Association

  Q&A about the award available here: https://bsuhonorspaw.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/qa-with-dr-colby-king-winner-of-the-honors-outstanding-faculty-award/

  Bridgewater State University Honors Program

  Dr. Robert A. Daniel Award for Diversity

  Inclusion and Social Justice: Supporting the Success of BSU's Students

  Dr. Colby King’s teaching

  scholarship

  service

  and campus leadership all emphasize his passion

  supporting students from a range of diverse backgrounds

  especially those first in their family to attend college and/or from a working class background. Recognizing that many of the BSU faculty and staff also come from first generation and working-class (FGWC) backgrounds

  Dr. King organized Class Beyond the Classroom (CBtC) to leverage story sharing and other outreach efforts in support of students with FGWC backgrounds. More than 50 faculty and staff have supported his efforts and more than 200 students have participated. CBtC builds community and solidarity among FGWC students and provides an opportunity for them to feel valued by the campus community. Dr. King also participates as a mentor in the “Dream it. Plan it. Achieve it.” male student success dinners and completed and shared research from the BSU’s Commuter Student Task Force. His most recent work is as a co-principle investigator for a million dollar National Science Foundation grant which funds scholarships and academic supports for academically talented

  low-income students. The grant also involves students in interdisciplinary undergraduate research

  service learning

  mentoring

  and cohort activities designed to improve their social

  psychological

  and cultural capital. As a first generation student himself

  Dr. King promotes diversity

  in all aspects of his faculty life. He understands how it strengthens our campus

  and he acts on BSU’s commitment to social justice that necessitates equitable outcomes for all students regardless of their background.\n\nMore information available here: https://www.bridgew.edu/awards-for-academic-excellence

  Bridgewater State University