Hometown? I am the younger of two girls born to Shirley and Nicholas Martin in Washington, D.C. When I was about five years old, my mother, sister, and I moved to Philadelphia. At 16, I began my undergraduate education. I completed graduate education at New York University (MS) and the University of Minnesota (PhD).

When did you join UMRA? In 2009. Currently, I am the historian charged with preparing UMRA documents for the University Archives in Andersen Library.

What was your first job? I was a “soda jerk” and luncheon waitress in a drugstore in downtown Philly. (I was terrible at both.)

What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? I was an associate professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, College of Design. 

Where were you when Apollo 11 landed on the moon? I remember viewing and reading about the landing, but my whole being was involved with doctoral written and oral exams and the dissertation proposal.

If you could learn a new skill, what would you like it to be? Rather than a new skill, I would continue to further develop my piano and sketching skills. I also need to improve my creative writing ventures.

Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? I find the Goldstein Museum a great place for learning, I like the St. Paul and Minneapolis campus malls for relaxation and beauty, and the Wilson and Magrath libraries for research and writing.

What is a fun fact about you we might not know? I make an unforgettable seafood gumbo, a delicious shrimp jambalaya, and a great-tasting potato salad.

What is something you currently enjoy doing? I like being alone and having quiet time. I enjoy reading fiction and nonfiction, doing crafts (knitting, crocheting, and counted cross-stitch), being challenged by creating an intellectual biography of a colleague, sketching seasonal views overlooking the lake in my backyard, and playing the piano.