Women in STEM: Jennifer Martin

Jennifer Martin has had some impactful moments in her lifetime. However, none stands out more than a chance meeting in the early 2000s. The experience of sitting down with her all-time idol, who is an icon in science circles, was affirming.

Martin is a scientist with a penchant for research.

"I've always known what I was going to do. I've always known I wanted to do something in natural sciences ... in biology … with the ocean," said the Thomas Nelson biology professor.

She entered the field when there were few women in STEM. Opportunities to commune with others like herself were rare even as she began her career. When Martin saw Marjorie Courtenay Latimer during a conference, it was almost magical. Latimer in 1938 raised awareness of the existence of the coelacanth, a fish believed to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Renowned ichthyologist J.B.L. Smith named the fish (Latimeria) for her.

Martin specializes in fish, so she likened meeting Latimer to a diehard basketball fan meeting Michael Jordan.

"She was massively inspiring to me. I was at a research conference in South Africa, and she was there. At this point, she was 90-something years old. She was sitting at a table. I was like, 'Oh my God! That's her,'" exclaimed Martin.

"I went over and said, 'hi,'" recalled Martin. "She took my hand and patted my hand (as) my grandmother would do, and she said, 'Sit down and have tea with me.' I'm freaking out. I'm having tea with Marjorie Courtenay Latimer."

Martin fondly remembered Latimer welcoming her to sit down saying, 'We can talk about anything you want as long as it's not that fish.' The pair spent an hour chatting about butterflies.

"I got to spend an hour with my science superstar in South Africa and not even talk about the fish. But I was thrilled," she said. "When I think of women in STEM, that's what comes to me ... just that interaction. Just to see her was inspiring. It made me feel like I had accomplished something being in the same space as her."

Reflecting on her college and career experience, Martin believes "equality is getting better" in STEM.

"I didn't have any female role models. Every mentor and every supervisor I ever had was a man. You see a lot more women in STEM organizations now and that is important," she said. "Having a community that is like you. Just to feel like a part of that community, and to have one or two really strong female mentors that could guide you is important."

For the mother of a 9- and a 5-year-old, parenthood added another dimension to her personal and professional life. Her "academic production" slowed down for a time after each birth and she ultimately changed her approach.

"My academic life had to shift because of motherhood. Before (having) kids, I had this mentality of 'there's nothing I can't do,'" she mused. "When I had kids, I had to shift that mentality. 'There's nothing I can't do when I (have) the time to do it.' It's not your schedule when you have kids," said stressed, noting that family is always the priority.

Martin finds a balance and works within those parameters. She ensures time for PTA, her kids' sports leagues, and serving on Norfolk Public Schools Gifted Education Advisory Committee and the Norfolk Civic League.

She still puts a lot of energy into teaching and takes advantage of research opportunities. South Africa, where she met her idol, is just one of many stops in her travels. Science has taken Martin across the globe thanks to numerous international fellowships and support from the Thomas Nelson Educational Foundation.

She has conducted research on invitation at museums and universities in Japan, England, Ireland, and elsewhere abroad.

"I've been able to work at the equivalent of the Smithsonian for multiple countries … the British Museum of Natural History ... the National Museum of in Australia," she noted. "It's certainly been fun, but it also has been very rigorous. My job here as a faculty member doesn't include those kinds of opportunities. So, I've had to work to make them happen. I'm thankful that I've had that opportunity to do that."

Martin collaborated with researchers in Japan to study fish genetics and comparative anatomy at Tokyo's National Museum. That experience brought the discovery of at least one new fish species. In London, England, she examined fishes collected by Charles Darwin and Capt. James Cook.

Currently also teaching oceanography in the College's geology department, she taught a tropical ecology study abroad course in the past at Thomas Nelson. The class studied tropical leaf-cutter ants in Nicaragua. Other research outings include those at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. In Canada, she presented her research at the American Society for Ichthyology and Herpetology Annual meeting in conjunction with the World Congress of Herpetology.

Having worked in China, the Czech Republic, and numerous other places abroad, she was on sabbatical in 2019 for a three-month experience in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The onset of COVID changed plans, and Scandinavia became the alternative. Again, however, the pandemic put those invitations from universities and museums in Norway, Finland, and Sweden on hold. She still plans on taking advantage of the opportunity when circumstances improve.

Martin, who is first-generation, completed undergraduate studies in oceanography and biology at Old Dominion University and earned a master's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut. While pursuing a doctoral degree at ODU then finishing at William and Mary, she joined Thomas Nelson's faculty in 2005. Martin brought teaching experience from Connecticut's Post University and a rich background in research through Yale University and other institutions.

The 2018 State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) Outstanding Faculty of Year Award winner has secured numerous grants and earned many accolades throughout her career. She now serves on the selection committee for the prestigious SCHEV award. The award recognizes the scope of a recipient's higher education career - teaching, research, student interactions, integrating knowledge - and honors their entire professional life.

"It was a real honor to receive that award. It acknowledged every part of the work that I do at Thomas Nelson - to when I'm giving talks abroad, when I'm invited to give talks in the Czech Republic … all of that counts," she said.

Martin's experiences greatly benefit students. She uses all she gains from extensive research opportunities to enrich students' learning.

"I really enjoy teaching. I'm glad that my schedule, my commitments here still allow me to do research which is not a requirement for a community college professor. But it is something that I'm passionate about. Research and teaching are not that different from each other. So, I can combine those and give students experiences in the classroom based on things I'm actually doing. I think that makes it more relevant to them," she said.

"I try to incorporate global education and global competence everywhere. My work is global in nature. Even in Bio 101 class, getting some global aspect in classes is just important," concluded Martin, who co-directs the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program at the College with her fellow faculty member Jean Frank.

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