Office
SL 310e
Fax
email: cbrown2@wpi.edu
Dr. Crystal Brown- Professional Website
Affiliated Department or Office
International & Global Studies
Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (GSWS)
Africana Studies
Associate Director of Policy Studies Program
Associate Department Head- Social Science and Policy Studies Department
Director, Washington, D.C. Project Center
Education
PhD in Political Science- University of Oregon
Master of Public Administration (MPA)- Pennsylvania State University
Certificate in Data Analytics- Harvard University

Dr. Crystal Brown earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Oregon with focus in comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. She also has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Pennsylvania State University and a certificate in Data Analytics from Harvard University.

She is an internationally focused scholar who examines the inclusivity of marginalized groups. As a computational social scientist, she uses mixed methods, combining statistical approaches with qualitative techniques to find insights beyond numerical data. Dr. Brown’s work examines real-world problems in politics, public policy, and governance, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of the people most affected by them.

 

Select Grants and Fellowships:

  • (PI), Subaward S-STEM NSF Grant from Virginia Tech, SHIFT: STEM Identities for Students Engagement and Transfer Pathways, (2025-2026)
  • (PI) WPI Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, REGIST: Responsible AI in Economy, Governance, Innovation, Society, and Technology (2025-2026).
  • (Co-PI) NSF S-STEM Grant, Creating a Path to Achieving Success and Sense of Belonging in Computer Science (PASS CS)  (2023-2028)
  • (PI) Russell Sage Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Proposal Development Summer Institute Fellow (Summer 2020, moved to Summer 2021)
  • Fulbright Schuman Fellow in Denmark and Sweden (2017-2018). 
Affiliated Department or Office
International & Global Studies
Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (GSWS)
Africana Studies
Associate Director of Policy Studies Program
Associate Department Head- Social Science and Policy Studies Department
Director, Washington, D.C. Project Center
Education
PhD in Political Science- University of Oregon
Master of Public Administration (MPA)- Pennsylvania State University
Certificate in Data Analytics- Harvard University

Dr. Crystal Brown earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Oregon with focus in comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. She also has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Pennsylvania State University and a certificate in Data Analytics from Harvard University.

She is an internationally focused scholar who examines the inclusivity of marginalized groups. As a computational social scientist, she uses mixed methods, combining statistical approaches with qualitative techniques to find insights beyond numerical data. Dr. Brown’s work examines real-world problems in politics, public policy, and governance, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of the people most affected by them.

 

Select Grants and Fellowships:

  • (PI), Subaward S-STEM NSF Grant from Virginia Tech, SHIFT: STEM Identities for Students Engagement and Transfer Pathways, (2025-2026)
  • (PI) WPI Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, REGIST: Responsible AI in Economy, Governance, Innovation, Society, and Technology (2025-2026).
  • (Co-PI) NSF S-STEM Grant, Creating a Path to Achieving Success and Sense of Belonging in Computer Science (PASS CS)  (2023-2028)
  • (PI) Russell Sage Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Proposal Development Summer Institute Fellow (Summer 2020, moved to Summer 2021)
  • Fulbright Schuman Fellow in Denmark and Sweden (2017-2018). 
Office
SL 310e
Fax
email: cbrown2@wpi.edu
ORCiD
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-6774
Dr. Crystal Brown- Professional Website
Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Image
Preview Gender Equality Goal

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Image
Preview Decent Work and Economic Growth Goal

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Reduce inequality within and among countries

Image
Preview Reduced Inequalities Goal

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Image
Preview Sustainable Cities and Communities Goal

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Image
Preview Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Goal
Research Interests
comparative politics; international relations; public policy
women, marginalized groups; inclusivity
migration; race/ethnicity and politics; governance
STEM education; science-technology policy
data analytics; research methods

Scholarly Work

Journal Articles- Peer Reviewed

Brown, C., Smith, A.,  Echere, A.Z., Vedogbeton, H., Somasse, G., and Krueger, R. (December 2025). “Navigating STEM Spaces: Black Students’ Transitions, Belonging, and Barriers in STEM Education.” Higher Education Studies 15 (4). doi: 10.5539/hes.v15n4p452.

Brown, C., Pittelli, C. (September 15, 2025). “The Indirect Approach: Restricting Abortion Access Through U.S. Federal Legislation After Dobbs.” Journal of Policy History. doi:10.1017/S0898030625100389.

Coutts, A., Brown, C., & Bernardi, F. (January 2025). Signals of inclusion: How faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1514339.

Brown, C., McCauley, S. M., & Adler-Abramo, R. (June 2024). Inclusivity Overlooked: A Case Study of People with Disabilities’ Inclusion in Climate Resilience Planning in Massachusetts. Journal of Environmental Justice. https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2023.0084.

Bernardi, F., Brown, C., Davis, L., Ephraim, M., Moody, R., & Trubko, R. (June 2024). Cultivating Inclusivity in Introductory Undergraduate STEM Course Syllabi. Nature’s  Humanities & Social Science Communications. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03276-y. 

 

Book Chapters- Peer Reviewed

Brown, C., & Laing, T. (November 2025). Support Networks for Doctoral Students at HBCUs: Insights and Implications. In E. McPherson & T. Laing (Eds.), (In)visible Student Support Networks at HBCUs and PWIs for Black Undergraduate and Graduate Students. SUNY Press, New York. https://sunypress.edu/Books/B/Black-Student-Support-Networks.

Brown, C., & Aponte, J. (in press). Recentering policymaking: Technique in policy design for migrants and immigration. In R. Krueger & Y. Telliel (Eds.), Decentering science and technology in global development (Chapter 7). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112218716-007

Brown, C. (2026 in press) “Equity at Odds: The Collision of Migration Policies and Black Community Needs.” in Handbook of Urban Planning and Social Justice, editor Silverman, R.M. ISBN 978-3-11-167015-7

 

Policy Briefs, Encyclopedia Entries, White Papers, and Conference Papers – Peer Reviewed

Brown, C., US Foreign Policy and Gender. (September 2025). In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Politics and Gender. Editor Lia K. Roberts. SAGE Publications, p. 1415-1419. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-international-encyclopedia-of-politics-and-gender/book286827. 

Brown, C., Masvawure, T., & Agupusi, P. (September 2025). International Security and Women. In The SAGE encyclopedia of politics and gender. Editor Lia K. Roberts. SAGE Publications, p. 786-791. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-international-encyclopedia-of-politics-and-gender/book286827. 

Agupusi, P., Brown, C. (September 2025) Post-Conflict and Women. In The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Politics and Gender. Editor Lia K. Roberts. SAGE Publications, p. 1148-1152. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-international-encyclopedia-of-politics-and-gender/book286827.

Brown, C. (June 2023). Sustainable Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa: Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Technology. UN Sustainable Development Goals- Science, Technology, and Innovation. https://sdgs.un.org/documents/brown-assessing-african-led-science-technological-innovation-approaches-climate-change?utm.

Vedogbeton, H., Brown, C., Somasse, G., & Krueger, R. (June 2023). Improving the Experiences and Retention of Black Students in STEM Education. Paper presented at the 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, June 25-28, 2023, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Non-Peer Reviewed Published Work

 Brown, C. (2024). Review of the book Property, Institutions, and Social Stratification in Africa by Franklin Obeng-Odoom. Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, Spring 2020. 

Brown, C. Textbook review. Sage Publications, Political Science Today by Wendy Whitman Cobb. December 2021. 

Brown, C. (2020). Review of the book Political Blackness in Multiracial Britain by M. Ambikaipaker” Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics. DOI:10.1017/rep.2019.59

Professional Affiliations
American Political Science Association (APSA)
International Studies Association (ISA)
Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA)
National Conference for Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS)
International Public Policy Association (IPPA)
Professional Highlights & Honors
Fulbright Schuman Scholar in Denmark and Sweden, 2017 - 2018
United States Fulbright Scholar Program

News

Chev Right Icon of hollow arrow pointing right Arrow Right Icon of arrow pointing right SEE MORE NEWS ABOUT Crystal Brown

Announcements

Media Coverage

Chev Right Icon of hollow arrow pointing right Arrow Right Icon of arrow pointing right See More Media Coverage
Inside Higher ED
How professors can foster inclusivity with their syllabus

Inside Higher Ed highlighted recent research by WPI researchers who looked into how syllabi can signal inclusivity in the classroom. The study, originally published in Nature's Humanities and Social Sciences Connections, was authored by Francesca Bernardi, Crystal Brown, Lindsay Davis, Michelle Ephraim, Rebecca Moody and Raisa Trubko. 

Associated Press
Ukraine invasion spotlights the delicate state of democracy

The Associated Press spoke with Assistant Professor of Social Science & Policy Studies Crystal Brown about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens democracy, and how Vladimir Putin has used the appearance and infrastructure of democracy to gain, and keep, power.