Furman Innovation Lab:
Shaping Leaders, Sparking Change
Access Furman Innovation Lab’s impactful certificates, graduate programs, and institute-led initiatives in one place, where leadership meets creativity and ideas generate impact. Whether you’re ready to advance your career, initiate change in your organization, or drive progress in our community, you’ll find offerings and services embodying liberal arts in action.
The Furman advantage, reimagined
The Furman Innovation Lab prepares individuals and organizations to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. For 200 years, Furman has empowered learners through evidence-based research and community-centered learning. Today, that tradition continues beyond undergrad programs through a dynamic mix of courses and certificates offered by Furman’s institutes, graduate programs, and Center for Innovative Leadership.
Whether you’re an individual ready to sharpen your professional skills or dive into a new passion, or an employer looking to strengthen your team and drive measurable results, our offerings can deliver the tools, knowledge, and confidence to achieve your goals.
Choose your track to discover where our courses, professional certificates, and learning pathways can take you.
Explore our courses to forge new skills
From immersive leadership programs to graduate-level degrees and professional certificates, Furman Innovation Lab courses are built to inspire action, fuel ideas, and enhance the skills that set you apart. Here’s a glimpse of what you can find in our full catalog:
Signature programs
The spark behind the Furman Innovation Lab
The Furman Innovation Lab brings together the best of Furman’s community-facing programs into a single, powerful hub. By uniting the Center for Innovative Leadership, the Furman Institutes, and Graduate Studies, we offer learners and organizations a seamless way to access bold, hands-on opportunities that drive growth, connection, and impact.
How we make an impact
At Furman, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door—it spills into communities, boardrooms, and real-world challenges. Through hands-on projects, leadership training, and impactful connections, our students and partners are transforming their careers and communities, making waves where it matters most. Here’s what they say:
Working with the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH) as part of my public-health capstone gave me real-world experience and helped launch a career path I love.
Hannah McKinnon ’20
Riley Institute Summer Experience (RISE) gave me a seat at the table—leadership training, real connections, and the tools to make things happen.
Riley Fellow ’24
Covering everything from data collection to real-world solutions, the Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) helped me translate classroom theory into real change.
Anna DeMino ’26
Read MoreWorking with the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH) as part of my public-health capstone gave me real-world experience and helped launch a career path I love.
Hannah McKinnon ’20
Read MoreRiley Institute Summer Experience (RISE) gave me a seat at the table – leadership training, real connections, and the tools to make things happen.
Riley Fellow ’24
Read MoreCovering everything from data collection to real-world solutions, the Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) helped me translate classroom theory into real change.
Anna DeMino ’26
Experts driving impact
Behind every Furman Innovation Lab experience are experts who bring research, real-world insight, and bold ideas to the table. They ignite curiosity, guide discovery, and help learners and organizations turn potential into lasting impact.
Dr. Cynthia King
As associate dean, Dr. Cynthia King champions access, opportunity, and academic thriving across Furman. A communication scholar and co-director of the On Discourse Initiative, she equips students, faculty, and staff with the skills to engage meaningfully across differences.
Her leadership has shaped curriculum innovation and strengthened campus-community partnerships, amplifying Furman Innovation Lab’s impact beyond the classroom.
Garrett Stern
A mission-driven innovator, Garrett Stern leads Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership with a passion for connecting universities and communities to solve real-world challenges.
With more than a decade of experience in higher education, he designs programs that strengthen leadership and build workforce resilience. A national speaker on the future of education and work, Garrett helps organizations navigate transformation with human-centered solutions.
Ciara Marshall
Ciara Marshall blends creativity and analytics to bring Furman’s programs to life. With a background spanning technology, higher education, and nonprofits, she builds integrated campaigns that tell compelling stories and connect learners with growth opportunities.
Outside of work, Ciara channels her energy into Greenville’s roller-derby community, where she continues to lead with strategy, teamwork, and spirit.
Dr. Cynthia King
As associate dean, Dr. Cynthia King champions access, opportunity, and academic thriving across Furman. A communication scholar and co-director of the On Discourse Initiative, she equips students, faculty, and staff with the skills to engage meaningfully across differences.
Her leadership has shaped curriculum innovation and strengthened campus-community partnerships, amplifying Furman Innovation Lab’s impact beyond the classroom.
Garrett Stern
A mission-driven innovator, Garrett Stern leads Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership with a passion for connecting universities and communities to solve real-world challenges.
With more than a decade of experience in higher education, he designs programs that strengthen leadership and build workforce resilience. A national speaker on the future of education and work, Garrett helps organizations navigate transformation with human-centered solutions.
Ciara Marshall
Ciara Marshall blends creativity and analytics to bring Furman’s programs to life. With a background spanning technology, higher education, and nonprofits, she builds integrated campaigns that tell compelling stories and connect learners with growth opportunities.
Outside of work, Ciara channels her energy into Greenville’s roller-derby community, where she continues to lead with strategy, teamwork, and spirit.
