Cynthia Neal Spence, Ph.D., C'78

Biography

Faculty Member Since 1981

Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College and Founding Director of the Spelman College Social Justice Program and National Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs. Dr. Spence has served as Assistant Dean for Freshman Studies, Associate Academic Dean, and Academic Dean at Spelman College. She is a graduate of Spelman College and earned both a master’s and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.

Her teaching and research interests in sociology, law, and social justice support the Law and Criminology concentration in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Her focus on issues such as higher education access, racial justice, and violence against women informs her research, writing, community service, and public speaking. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Kerner Commission Report, she co-authored “How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Black Riots and Civil Disorders vs White Rejection and Protest.” She has recent and upcoming publications in the Journal of Black Sexualities and Relationships and The Black Scholar.

Dr. Spence is the Founding Director of the Spelman College Social Justice Fellows Program. The Social Justice Program is a living and learning community that aligns students’ intellectual interests with their passion for social justice advocacy. She is dedicated to helping Spelman women fully realize their commitment to “making a choice to change the world” through social justice work. She also serves as the Director of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, an initiative sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. She has worked with several institutions of higher education to develop racial healing projects.

As the National Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, Dr. Spence develops, manages, and oversees a range of programs focused on future faculty development and faculty career advancement for UNCF (United Negro College Fund) students and faculty. Under her leadership, students are prepared to enter the Ph.D. pipeline, and faculty across the UNCF consortium are supported in their growth as teachers and scholars.

She recently served as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Committee on Advancing Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM Organizations She has served as a consultant for the Ford Foundation's Institutional Transformation Project, the University of Chicago Provost Initiative on Minority Affairs, the Agnes Scott College Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Dr. Spence served two terms as a Faculty Trustee on the Spelman College Board of Trustees and is the former chair of Men Stopping Violence. She also served as Chair of the Board of Directors for Georgia Women for Change (reinstituted as the Women’s Policy and Advocacy Group of the YWCA, Greater Atlanta). Additionally, she has served as Vice Chair of the YWCA Greater Atlanta Board of Directors and currently serves on the boards of Shared Interest and the Atlanta History Center. She is a founding member of the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Women’s Solidarity Society.

She is married to Harold W. Spence, and they have two daughters and three grandsons.

Education

• Ph.D., M.A., Rutgers University

• B.A., Spelman College