Chrystina Russell
Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives
Chrystina Russell currently serves as the Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Roux Institute. In this role, she spearheads the Institute’s efforts to foster inclusivity and innovation in learning. Her mission is to ensure that students who have often been overlooked in traditional higher education have access to the tools and pathways necessary to succeed in both their educational journey and the professional world.
Before joining Northeastern, Russell spent a decade establishing and expanding the Global Education Movement model at international nonprofits and Southern New Hampshire University. This initiative stands as the world’s largest-scale higher education program for refugees, operating in camps and urban areas across Africa and the Middle East. Her commitment to education and inclusion is deeply rooted in her earlier experiences as a bilingual special education teacher in the Bronx and as the founding principal of a public middle school in East Harlem, New York City.
Russell holds a PhD in urban education policy from the CUNY Graduate Center, a Master’s degree in bilingual special education, and an advanced certificate in school building leadership from Baruch College. She earned a BA in social organization and minority communities from the University of Michigan, Phi Beta Kappa.
Russell is a passionate lifelong learner. She recently completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program and currently serves as the leader-in-residence at Roux student housing. In this role, she actively cultivates the intellectual life of graduate students, furthering their academic and professional pursuits. Russell is an enthusiastic traveler who looks forward to introducing individuals from around the world to the vibrant community at the Roux Institute.