Dr. Crystal Martin (she/her/hers) is a community psychologist who employs a combination of research methods as a means to actively encourage and inspire individuals, communities, organizations, and policymakers to come together and take action in support of equitable, fair, and inclusive educational practices and policies.
For over a decade, Dr. Martin worked for the Chicago Public Schools as a counselor providing her with on-the-ground experience. Her invaluable journey as a practitioner is central to her commitment to raising awareness, advocating for change, and engaging communities to work collectively to address issues related to educational inequality, discrimination, and access. To this end, Dr. Martin held concurrent roles as a research policy fellow for the Chicago Teachers Union and the American Federation of Teachers.
Dr. Martin is an action researcher who designs for practice. Her research experience explores barriers to post-secondary persistence, retention, and motivation, meta stereotypes, school choice, and competitive education each aimed at enhancing outcomes for Black and Brown students. Notably, she has lent her expertise as a researcher to the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation as a policy fellow, engaging in research and leading evaluation teams for various state-level initiatives. Her contributions extend to numerous college access initiatives. She has presented her research findings on preparedness, recruitment, and retention for first-generation students at the Annual Collegeboard Forum, the American School Counseling Association, the Illinois School Counseling Association, and in collaboration with the University of Chicago Neighborhood School Partnerships.
The goal of Dr. Martin’s work is to promote a just and equitable education system that benefits all children regardless of their background or circumstances. Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Martin's profound commitment to equity and community work is reflected also in her volunteer efforts and her role as a licensed foster parent.
Dr. Martin holds an MA in Counseling and an MEd in Educational Leadership with principal certification from Lewis University, postgraduate certification from the Urban Education Institute at Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from National Louis University.