ERICA CROWLEY

Erica Crowley, MSW is a dedicated professional committed to community engagement, social justice, and education. With nearly a decade of experience in various capacities, Erica currently serves as the Senior Director of Academic Programs in Trinity College’s Center for Hartford Engagement & Research where she oversees academic programs focused on community action, community-based research, public humanities and creative projects. She fosters meaningful relationships with community partners, faculty, staff and students to develop impactful projects and courses on arts and culture, climate and environment, education, food justice, women’s economic security, immigration, racial justice, and more.

Some of her notable accomplishments in this role include aligning community engagement practices with critical shifts in the field to center community voices in decision-making structures and developing college-wide anti-racist pedagogy resources to foster trust-based, mutually beneficial community partnerships. In recognition of these efforts over the years, her team was honored to receive Campus Compact’s 2023 Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation and the Coalition for Community Writing’s 2021 Outstanding College-Community Project Award. She also proudly serves as a campus mentor to Posse Foundation scholars.

As an offshoot of her full-time work, Erica is a Partner with CM Creative, working with nonprofits, museums, cultural organizations, small businesses and project teams. From behind the scenes workflow and project management to front-facing digital storytelling, CM’s goal is to teach partners how to tell unique stories and amplify impact through digital exhibits, audio tours, archiving and memory projects, interactive maps and timelines, social media campaigns, digital strategy and branding.

Prior to her current position, Erica served as lead organizer with ReproEquityNow where she directed successful grassroots organizing campaigns to advance proactive municipal and state level reproductive rights legislation. She has previously served as a Commissioner on the City of Hartford’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women where she drove significant changes in the city’s harassment policy.

Erica holds a Master of Social Work with a concentration in macro practice and community organizing and a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a research concentration from the University of Connecticut. She holds a deep commitment to fostering inclusive spaces and making public, community-engaged work. Outside of work you can find her exploring restaurants around the world (and blogging about it), spending time by the ocean, or rolling out her yoga mat for ashtanga practice.