Hello I'm Martina 

Martina's  Story

 

Martina Sharp Grier is a Sociologist and public speaker with a research and publication background in the sociology of work, the sociology of education, inequalities, and qualitative inquiry. Her experience as a soldier in the United States Army Reserve (USAR), collegiate professor, criminal justice professional, forensic social worker, and brief therapist guide her work with Broken Glass Productions LTD. Martina began her adulthood as an enlisted member of the USAR. She enrolled with the goal of not only serving her country, but also to provide for herself as she began her studies in Criminal Justice/Pre-Law at The University of Dayton.

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After achieving a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, she worked for 13 years in the field, first as a county probation officer and eventually as a state parole officer. During that time, she became acutely aware of the psychosocial realities that shaped the lives of the clients that she served and developed a desire to understand more fully the social factors that led people – all people – to behave in the manner that they do.

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This led her to study for and achieve a Master of Arts degree in Sociology, from the University of Akron. Martina’s master’s studies led her to becoming a Licensed Social Worker and Chemical Dependency Counselling Assistant, credentials that undergirded her work as a Forensic Social Worker and Brief Therapist. In those roles, Martina worked with Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) patients, provided initial mental health diagnoses, worked with institutional treatment teams, and engaged in brief therapy for clients suffering from Major Mental Illness (MMI) and substance abuse issues. She also worked with targets and survivors of Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence, and wrote and delivered workshops to medical professionals, mental health clinicians, and court personnel on the nuances of working with targets – adults and children – of domestic violence.

 

While this work was fulfilling, she was drawn to teaching, research, and writing, which eventually led to her pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology and a career in higher education. As an educator, Martina has designed and taught courses in sociology, social psychology, criminal and juvenile justice, sociological methods, sex and gender, and racial and ethnic relations. Additionally, Martina is an author and public speaker and has addressed audiences of educators and industry and educational administrators on topics including educational equity, workplace culture, and multicultural approaches to clinical intervention. Martina co-authored the anthology, Feminist Pedagogy, Practice, and Activism: Improving the Lives of Girls and Women, released by Routledge in 2017 and has authored and co-authored refereed articles, book chapters, and gray literature on topics including multicultural education and women in leadership. Her current book project, entitled, Impacts of Cultural Mistrust in Education, Work, and Identity Politics, is being co-edited by Dr. Chad J. Sloss and will be released in 2026.

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Martina is no stranger to the Arts. She is an independently contracted vocalist who has performed for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the State of Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and other local individuals and agencies. She has also been a vocalist in residence with the City of Flags barbershop chorus and the Glories of Gospel anthology troupe. Her latest stage work was a three-week residency with The Canton Players Guild, singing the role of Medda Larkin in the musical, Newsies! She is an established recording artist, having contributed back-up vocals to gospel artist Kennedy Jones’ inaugural album, Call to Worship©.

 

With her contributions to Broken Glass Productions LTD, Martina seeks to bring awareness to the social, psychological, and phenomenological realities that trauma brings to the people who experience it. It is her sincere hope that by using the expertise that she gained through work and education, she can bring life and depth to the characters depicted and support to the actors who portray them. She is excited to be a part of the team.