Nicole King

Nicole King is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), with affiliations in the Language, Literacy, and Culture doctoral program. She directs the Orser Center for the Study of Place, Community, and Culture, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to urban and regional studies.

• PhD in American Studies, University of Maryland College Park (2008)
• MA in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, University of New Mexico (2001)

Her research focuses on the interplay between place, power, and economic development, analyzing transformations in vernacular landscapes, tourism industries, and deindustrialization. Key projects include:

• Baltimore Traces: Communities in Transition (2015–present): Oral history and public humanities work with local communities.
• Mapping Baybrook (2012–present): Documenting industrial decline and community narratives.

Her publications, including the co-edited volume Baltimore Revisited (2019), critique consumer culture and urban redevelopment. She teaches courses spanning American Studies theory, community preservation, and urban history.