Faculty and Staff Profile

Kinly Sturkie

Educational Background

Ph.D. Social Work (Family Therapy)
University of Southern California 1979

MSW Social Work
University of South Carolina 1973

BA Sociology
Newberry College 1970

Courses Taught

Child Abuse and Treatment
Social Construction of Mental Illness
Marriage and Intimate Relationships

Profile

Kinly Sturkie joined the faculty of the Department in August, 1982, and retired in January, 2018. In addition to his research and teaching, Kinly served as the Chair of the Department for almost ten years, and two and a half years as Interim Chair of the Department of Political Science. At the time of his retirement, he had also served five and a half years as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Business and Behavioral Science--subsequently in the College of Business. Kinly is also a former President of the Clemson University Faculty Senate, a University Grievance Consultant, and the 2003 recipient of the Clemson University Class of 1939 Award for Excellence. He earned his PhD at the University of Southern California and was first licensed as a marriage, family, and child counselor in California in 1978. He practiced full-time as a child and family therapist for seven years before joining the Clemson faculty to teach courses related to social work practice. His practice experience included serving as the Clinical Director of a Treatment/Research demonstration project funded by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Other activities have included service as the Chair of the Advisory Committee for the National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy, President of the S.C. State Board of Examiners for Counselors and Therapists, and President of the (national) Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. He also had significant experience as a trainer, agency consultant, and expert witness in Family Court hearings related to child maltreatment, termination of parental rights, child custody, and post-divorce visitation facilitation.

Research Interests

Professor Sturkie's research focused principally on the treatment of sexually abused children and family therapy with maltreated adolescents. His research also focused on how psychotherapists are regulated by State licensing boards and by professional organizations. He is the co-author of two books and published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Social Work, Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Health and Social Work, Social Casework, and the Clinical Social Work Journal, among others.

Research Publications

Nie, Lulu, Ye Luo, William M. Wentworth, and K. Sturkie (2014). "Gender, family, socioeconomic status, and work values in China." American International Journal of Social Science, 3(2):53-64.