Dr. Olga Martinez Hickman, Ph.D. joins the Hunt Institute as a Fellow, bringing with her a passion for providing equal access to early childhood education in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Dr. Martinez Hickman is the Executive Director at Bachman Lake Together, where she supports cross-sector partnerships aimed at redesigning systems and strategies to enhance access to high-quality early childhood education for all children, regardless of zip code. Previously, Olga served as the Director of Programs and Partnerships for Read Fort Worth. Her work there promoted a collective impact, with the goal of increasing 3rd grade literacy for all students in the Fort Worth Independent School District. She has over a decade of relevant education experience that includes supporting statewide leadership, literacy, and system-change initiatives across Texas. Her areas of expertise include equity and excellence, parent leadership, and cultivating community connections to drive engaging instruction. Dr. Martinez Hickman is a product of public education, and earned her Ph.D. in K-16 Research, Policy, and Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Dr. Martinez Hickman is a 2019 Tarrant County Alumni of Leadership ISD’s Civic Voices and an alumni of inaugural Stagen Leadership Academy’s Social Change Leadership Program, designed to elevate the voices of powerful women leaders.
When asked what her motivation is for doing impact work she replied, “I want to help create systems that address barriers that have historically existed. It’s about experiencing the incremental progress toward our goal, small wins that may take a while, but will ultimately lead to change.”
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