She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration from Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business in 2000, specializing in strategic management, social issues in management, and international business. Prior to pursuing her interests in management, Dr. Cloninger worked as a research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute for nine years. She earned her Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1982 and 1981, respectively.