Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- Charles Martin can now remove the "interim" from his title as head of Kansas State University's department of geography in the College of Arts and Sciences.

After a national search, Martin was selected for the job.

"We had very strong interest in the department and the leadership position and considerable input from faculty and the search committee. Chuck will be able to maintain the momentum that Dick Marston and the geography faculty have built," said Peter Dorhout, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "I'm excited for the students, the faculty and the department."

Martin joined the geography department faculty as an instructor in 1989, rising to full professor in 2010 and, most recently, has been serving as interim department head since 2011. He also served as interim department head from 1997-1999.

Since Martin joined the university, the geography department has experienced success on several fronts. Enrollment in geography classes exceeded 4,000 students per academic year over the last five years. In that same period of time, the department's faculty have made more than 300 research presentations at national and international professional meetings and published more than 90 refereed journal articles. Geography faculty and graduate students have secured research funding from competitive agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with more than $1 million in new extramural research funding since July 2011. And, the department has seen growth in its doctoral program with nine doctorates granted since 2011.

"After 24 years as a faculty member in the geography department, and the past two years as interim department head, I was excited about the opportunity to lead a department that has built an outstanding reputation for its research, teaching and professional service," Martin said. "Serving as interim head, I came to appreciate the strengths of my colleagues and realized that serving as head for a longer term would allow us to build upon those strengths and further the reputation of the department."

Martin replaces Richard "Dick" Marston, university distinguished professor of geography, who stepped down to serve as a Jefferson Science fellow with the U.S. Department of State and then returned to teaching.

Martin earned his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College before earning his master's and doctorate in geography from the University of Kansas in 1985 and 1990, respectively. In his career, he has served as a Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung research fellow; been the director of the university's natural resources and environmental sciences secondary major; developed and taught multiple and varied classes; and represents the department within and outside the university.

Martin also has earned multiple research grants and numerous awards, including the Kansas State University Presidential Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Advising in 2009 and the William L. Stamey Award from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1991, 1993 and 2011.

"I look forward to leading the department and its faculty as we strive to contribute to the goals outlined in the K-State 2025 vision," Martin said.