Dr. Krystal E. Andrews (she/her) is the Director of Student Success in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her decade-plus experience is rooted in a passion for student success and retention programs at both predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Her diverse professional experience includes roles at Norfolk State University, Florida A&M University, Bowie State University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Holding a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Organization Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her research examines the experiences of Black women doctoral students at HBCUs and the influence of social support networks on the persistence of Black student populations. 

She is a two-time graduate of Old Dominion University with a Master’s in Higher Education and a Bachelors in Human Services. Dr. Andrews has called ACPA her professional home since 2013. She’s held volunteer leadership roles on the Pan African Network directorate board since 2013, most recently serving as the Network Chair in 2023. Her other professional organization memberships include the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC).