Steve W. Martin

Present Position

Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and University Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University

Chapter Affiliation

Iowa State University 

Background Information

CV
Biography

Statement

At Iowa State University, in nearly 30 years of work, Professor Martin has served as a faculty member who has attained all academic ranks that the university offers. He is one of only two faculty members in the more than 160 year history of Iowa State to hold both titles as Distinguished Professor and University Professor. The former title being awarded for his extensive research accomplishments and the latter title being awarded for his “change agent” impact on and service to the university.

Professor Martin has served the university in nearly all levels of educational, research, committee, service, and institutional work and is intimately familiar with both the research and teaching missions of a comprehensive research I university.

Professor Martin has served on all committees of the local ISU Sigma Xi Chapter and has served as the Chapter Secretary, President-Elect, and President. He has just been re-elected to serve a second three year term on the Executive committee which will culminate in his being the first ever faculty member to hold the President’s position for a second time.

At ISU, the local Sigma Xi chapter has an active fall and spring Sigma Xi seminar series that is well attended by the ISU research community. Researchers from undergraduate students to Distinguished Professors participate in these well attended seminars. In addition, they have held very successful off campus Science Cafes to engage the broader Iowa State and surrounding community in topics of interest such as water and soil quality, climate change, and food safety. Through these seminars and programs, the chapter’s leadership has been able to build and strengthen both the local chapter and the perception of the importance of scientific research to present day challenges and problems facing Iowa and the nation. It is in this way that Professor Martin has seen the impact and importance of the role of the local Sigma Xi chapter and has enjoyed playing a small part in the success of our efforts.

If elected to serve as a Director of Comprehensive Colleges and Universities this would extend his service to members of Sigma Xi at these institutions by using his extensive academic and research experiences to help develop young faculty and to help established faculty members further their careers. Professor Martin is excited to be a part of helping grow existing chapters and to starting new chapters. An important aspect of that will be to help develop the visibility of the positive impact that Sigma Xi has upon both the professional development of its members and the overall research enterprise of the United States. The Comprehensive Colleges and Universities of the U.S. play a critical role in conducting much of the research of our nation and through leadership efforts of the Sigma Xi, we can help raise visibility of that research at the national level to show both the impact and importance of scientific research to the health and vitality of our nation.