Carolyn Martin
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Carolyn Arthur "Biddy" Martin (born 1951) is an American academic, author, and the 19th president of
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
in
Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...
. Before becoming president at Amherst, she was the eighth
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
, where she assumed office on September 1, 2008, succeeding John D. Wiley. She was the seventh graduate of UW–Madison to serve as its chancellor, and the first alumna to hold that position. She was the university's second female chancellor, after
Donna Shalala Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Preside ...
, and also the university's first openly lesbian chancellor. Before becoming chancellor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she was Provost of
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
in
Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
from July 1, 2000 until August 31, 2008. As provost, Martin served as chief academic officer and chief operating officer, providing leadership for deans of Cornell’s 14 colleges and schools, as well as a number of centers and faculty advisory councils. She helped manage the institution’s academic programs, executive budgets, capital budgets and operating plans. Martin worked on Cornell's academic faculty for 15 years prior to her appointment as provost.


Early life and education

Martin grew up in Timberlake, Virginia, just outside Lynchburg. The women in her family shared the name Carolyn, earning nicknames "Buck" (grandmother), "Boolie" (mother), and "Biddy" for Martin. She graduated from Brookville High School in 1969, where she was valedictorian and set the school scoring record for girls' basketball. She received her undergraduate degree from the
College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...
in 1973, where she was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. She earned an M.A. in German literature from
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...
’s program in Mainz, Germany and received her Ph.D. in
German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
in 1985 from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
.


Career

Martin joined the faculty at Cornell in 1985. In 1991, she was promoted to associate
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
in the Department of
German Studies German studies is an academic field that researches, documents and disseminates German language, literature, and culture in its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies therefore often focus on German culture, German h ...
with a joint appointment in the
Women’s Studies Women's studies is an academic field that draws on feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining social and cultural constructs of gender; systems of privilege and oppress ...
Program. She served as chair of the Department of German Studies from 1994 to 1997, and in 1997 was promoted to full Professor. In 1996, she was appointed Senior Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, a position she held until 2000. Between 2000 and 2008, she assumed the role as Cornell's Provost. She served as Chancellor of UW-Madison from 2008 to 2011. In 2018, she was elected a Fellow of the
Harvard Corporation The President and Fellows of Harvard College, also called the Harvard Corporation or just the Corporation, is the smaller and more powerful of Harvard University's two governing boards. It refers to itself as the oldest corporation in the Western ...
, which oversees
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. Martin is the author of numerous articles and two books—one on a literary and cultural figure in the Freud circle,
Lou Andreas-Salomé Lou Andreas-Salomé (born either Louise von Salomé or Luíza Gustavovna Salomé or Lioulia von Salomé, ; 12 February 1861 – 5 February 1937) was a Russian-born psychoanalyst and a well-traveled author, narrator, and essayist from a French Hu ...
, and the other on gender theory. In 2012, during Martin's tenure as president of
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
, twenty-year-old student Trey Malone committed suicide, reportedly as a result of the school's mishandling of his sexual assault by another student. Malone's suicide note, which was published by The Good Men Project, alleged that President Martin's first question to the student upon meeting him to discuss the assault was: "Have you handled your drinking problem?" The purported mishandling of Malone's case and his subsequent suicide raised the question within the media of victim blaming by college administrators around the country. In July 2022, Martin stepped down as president of Amherst College but remains on the faculty as a professor of German and Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies.


Major initiatives


Cornell (2000–2008)

During her tenure as provost, Martin led a faculty salary-improvement program, oversaw Cornell's interdisciplinary Life Sciences Initiative, authorized a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant proposal to enhance recruitment and retention of women in science and engineering and established and developed a budget for Cornell's Center for a Sustainable Future.Ju


Financial Aid Initiative

In 2008, Martin announced a financial aid initiative aimed at eliminating need-based loans for all undergraduate students from families with incomes under $75,000. The purpose of the initiative was to make it possible for new students to graduate debt-free.


New Student Reading Project

Martin started a reading project for incoming students, recruiting more than 200 faculty volunteers to lead small-group discussions with new students. The project has become a collaborative activity with the city of Ithaca.


Joan and Sanford Weill Life Sciences Building

Martin oversaw the $150 million creation of the Joan and Sanford Weill Life Sciences Building, a building that serves as the university's hub for life sciences and interdisciplinary collaborations. It is home to the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the Department of Biomedical Engineering.


University of Wisconsin–Madison (2008–2011)

As chancellor, Martin led successful initiatives to increase need-based financial aid, improve undergraduate education, and enhance research administration. The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates promoted student advising, innovations in undergraduate programs, and faculty diversity. Martin also spearheaded an effort to gain greater operating flexibility and increased autonomy for Wisconsin’s flagship campus. Martin advocated for diversity during her tenure. At the 2008 Diversity Forum, she closed the event stating, "We are a plural people whose joint efforts are required to address the world's problems. ... Interactions are key to realizing our full potential as human beings and groups."


Madison Initiative for Undergraduates

Martin's first major policy initiative as Chancellor was the implementation of an incremental four-year tuition increase plan called the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates. This plan pays for more undergraduate course offerings, additional faculty and staff to teach those courses, enhanced student services, and supplemental (and eventually complete) financial assistance for students whose families make under $80,000 a year. The plan was approved by the Board of Regents on May 8, 2009.


Go Big Read!

Martin has also created the university's first Common Read program, known as Go Big Read!, which began in Fall 2009. The inaugural selected title was '' In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto'', by
Michael Pollan Michael Kevin Pollan (; born February 6, 1955) is an American journalist who is a professor and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Concurrently, he is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism and the ...
. For Fall 2010, the announced selection was ''
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' (2010) is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It was the 2011 winner of the National Academies Communication Award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics ...
'' by
Rebecca Skloot Rebecca L. Skloot (born September 19, 1972) is an American science writer who specializes in science and medicine.Jessica Teisch, "Floyd Skloot & Rebecca Skloot", in '' Bookmarks'', May/June 2010. Her first book, '' The Immortal Life of Henrie ...
.


New Badger Partnership

In 2010, Martin initiated a series of public fora concerning what she described as a "new business model for UW–Madison". This proposal, called the "New Badger Partnership", was purportedly intended to safeguard the university finance and help mend the state's fiscal gaps. As part of this proposal, Martin called for "greater flexibility for the university, combined with reasonable forms of accountability and more effective operations" which "can strengthen the university's position and its ability to serve the state." Among its early stated aims were the ability to set market-based tuition, provide more financial aid and compensate faculty separately from pay plans for other state agencies. The most radical feature of this plan involved the separation of UW-Madison from the University of Wisconsin System, and redesignating it as a public authority governed by an independent Board of Trustees. The plan, however, proved polarizing, and Martin left for Amherst the following year.


Publications


Books

* ''Woman and Modernity: The (Life)Styles of Lou Andreas-Salomé'', Cornell University Press, 1991. * ''Femininity Played Straight: The Significance of Being Lesbian'', Routledge Press, 1996.


Other

* "Sex Change vs. Social Change", Review of ''The Transsexual Empire'', by Janice G. Raymond, ''Bread & Roses'', vol. 2, no. 3, 1980, pp. 41–41. * "Feminism, Criticism, and Foucault", ''New German Critique'', vol. 27, Autumn, 1982, pp. 3–30. * "A Study in Contrasts", Review of ''Gynesis: Configurations of Women and Modernity'', by Alice Jardine, ''The Woman's Review of Books'', vol. 4, no. 1., Oct., 1986, p. 22. * "Lesbian Identity and Autobiographical Difference , ''Life/Lines: Theorizing Women’s Autobiography'', edited by Bella Brodzki and Celeste Schenck, Cornell University Press, 1988, pp. 77–104. * "The Hobo, the Fairy, and the Quarterback", ''Profession'', 1994, pp. 15–20. * "Sexualities without Genders and Other Queer Utopias", ''Diacritics'', vol. 24, no. 2/3, Critical Crossings (Summer–Autumn, 1994), pp. 104–121. * "Teaching Literature, Changing Cultures”, ''PMLA'', vol. 112, no. 1, Special Topic: The Teaching of Literature (Jan., 1997), pp. 7–25. * "Success and Its Failures", ''Feminist Consequences: Theory for the New Century'', edited by Elisabeth Bronfen and Misha Kavka, Columbia University Press, 2001, pp. 353–380 * Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. “What’s Home Got to Do with It? (With Biddy Martin)”, ''Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity'', Duke University Press, 2003, pp. 85–105 * "The Work of Love", ''New German Critique'', no. 95, Special Issue for David Bathrick (Spring - Summer, 2005), pp. 27–36.


Personal life

Martin is married to historian Gabriele Strauch.


References


External links


University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor's Office



Carolyn Martin vitae
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Carolyn American humanities academics College of William & Mary alumni Cornell University faculty Leaders of the University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Middlebury College alumni 1951 births Living people Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences People from Campbell County, Virginia Women heads of universities and colleges Lesbian academics Presidents of Amherst College LGBTQ people from Virginia