Krystal M. Perkins

Krystal M. Perkins is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Chair of Global Black Studies at Purchase College, SUNY, within the School of Natural and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Social/Personality Psychology from the CUNY Graduate Center and a BA from Purchase College. Her research focuses on minoritized subjectivities, anti-Black racism, and the intersection of Black liberation movements with environmental justice. Perkins emphasizes counter-storytelling and critical consciousness-raising through psychological frameworks.

Key research areas include discursive analysis of racialized discourses, global Black identity constructions, and sustainable development goals in the Global South. She has developed curricula exploring Blackness through a global lens, emphasizing resistance and liberation as central themes. Perkins has also investigated migration narratives, climate change perceptions among students, and the psychological impacts of demographic shifts.

Her 2023 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship highlights her impactful work. Perkins’ publications span critical race theory, climate psychology, and interdisciplinary methodologies. She leads courses integrating transnational perspectives and collaborates on projects like the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad, focusing on Beninese liberation movements and identity politics.

Current projects include analyzing climate change pedagogy and exploring how economic beliefs influence demographic threat perceptions. Perkins advocates for socially engaged scholarship that bridges academic rigor with community-driven activism.