NYU’s Institute of Human Development and Social Change (IHDSC) and NYU’s Prison Education Program (PEP) are thrilled to name Dr. Honey Crawford, Assistant Professor of English at NYU, as the 2025-2026 Transformative Impact Scholar.
The Transformative Impact Scholar Award is a program launched out of IHDSC and PEP’s Reimagining Opportunities Outside of Traditional Systems (ROOTS) initiative. The award is designed to support NYU faculty who are working in solidarity with communities in ways that center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of people most impacted by inequities. Award recipients are individuals who strive to remove systemic roadblocks with creative solutions, think outside the box, and do the often underrecognized and less-visible work needed to make transformative change with and in communities. Modeled after the MacArthur Fellowship Program, often referred to as the “Genius grant,” this award provides a flexible form of support to award recipients, recognizing the transformative impact these individuals have already had, and allowing awardees to continue pursuing their bold, innovative work as they see fit.
Dr. Honey Crawford is a standout example of why this award exists. After receiving her MFA in Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts and her PhD in Theatre Studies from Cornell University, she joined the NYU community in 2022, further solidifying her place as an accomplished scholar of Black Studies and Performance Studies in the English Department at NYU Arts & Sciences. During her time at NYU, she has served as an advocate for and alongside her students and colleagues, as well as a committed, creative, and instrumental leader in NYU Sanctuary and Asylum and related mutual aid initiatives.
We are thrilled to uplift the work that Dr. Crawford has done to roll up her sleeves, push the boundaries of traditional scholarship, and drive toward a more equitable and just world. Join us in congratulating Dr. Crawford on this well-deserved recognition!
It has been my privilege to conduct research, teach, and organize collaboratively with the members of our NYU community and local mutual aid partners. My hope is to continue nurturing connections across the university and New York City to develop lasting relationships while centering the interests of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Dr. Crawford brings her intellectual acuity in Black Studies and her deep knowledge of feminist social movements to all of her work, including her research and her work with students and colleagues on the ground. She has played a central intellectual and logistical role in NYU's sanctuary mutual aid efforts, always showing the greatest care and sensitivity to the immigrant communities who are served by these efforts. Dr. Crawford is a natural leader and a thoughtful interlocutor who is deeply valued across multiple communities at NYU.
We are so excited to recognize Dr. Honey Crawford as this year’s Transformative Impact Scholar. Dr. Crawford has been a huge inspiration to me personally, and has also had a profound impact on IHDSC’s approach to community-based initiatives. Her efforts to distribute supplies and food to community members as they navigate immigration and housing systems; launch online wishlists in order to build and distribute care packages; and establish partnerships with organizations like the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and East Village Neighbors Who Care; have all served as both a catalyst and blueprint for IHDSC’s own mutual aid and advocacy efforts. She has also done an incredible job of connecting these efforts back to scholarship and teaching by organizing workshops and teach-ins, speaking at student and staff gatherings, and activating public spaces through dance and performance.