Crystal Franklin is the Director of K–12 Computer Science Education at Cleveland State University, where she manages over $2 million in funding and leads regional professional development for computer science educators. She holds a Master’s in Community Health Education and brings more than 20 years of experience spanning teaching, research, and policy.

Her career highlights include serving on the Ohio Computer Science Policy Coalition, teaching science in both Cleveland and Pinghu, China, and establishing Professional Learning Communities for computer science teachers. She has conducted international research in Uganda on tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and served as an Education Specialist in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guyana. Crystal is also a published author, most recently contributing to SIGCSE 2022: Setting the Table for Equity: A Leadership Model for Broadening Participation in Computing. An avid traveler, she has visited six continents and plans to add Antarctica to complete all seven.