Crasha Townsend
Foundations Fellow
Crasha V. Townsend, Ph.D., is a consultant with LINK in Foundation Relations. She is a nationally recognized thought leader in higher education with more than 20 years of experience in institutional transformation, organizational development and student engagement. Her career spans advancement, academic affairs, student affairs and university strategy, where she has led bold, data-informed initiatives that foster inclusive, student-centered environments.
Before joining Foundation Relations, she served as assistant provost at Virginia Tech, where she built a reputation as a visionary strategist, bridging academia, corporate partnerships and student success initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in integrated public relations from Central Michigan University, a Master of Education in higher education administration from Grand Valley State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Northwest Nazarene University.
Based in Christiansburg, Virginia, she is active in community initiatives focused on youth development, health care access and resource equity, alongside her husband.