D. Crystal Byndloss

Director, Outreach, Diversity, & Inclusion at MDRC

Byndloss holds dual roles at MDRC. She is the organization’s first director of outreach, diversity, and inclusion, working with MDRC’s leadership team, the human resources department, the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy Council, and other organizational stakeholders. Byndloss is also a senior associate in the K-12 Education policy area, where for more than a decade she has researched and directed initiatives to promote college access and success for students with low incomes. Current project work includes studies of the Black Teacher Collaborative and CTE Advise. She also serves as a senior advisor to the study of the New York City P-TECH Grades 9-14 school model. Prior work includes serving as lead implementation researcher on the evaluation of the SEED School of Washington, DC, and as the project director of the College Match pilot program. Byndloss has experience building and maintaining relationships with school districts, high schools, and other partners; collaborating on program and research design; directing program start-up, operations, and close-out; and leading dissemination activities. Past employment includes roles as director of research and analysis for Symphonic Strategies, and assistant dean for research and associate director at the College of Education at Temple University. Byndloss earned a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in sociology from Harvard University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds an executive education certificate from the Harvard Business School. Byndloss is also a LEADERSHIP Philadelphia fellow.