Drake University will formally install Earl F. “Marty” Martin as its 13th president during a formal inauguration ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in The Knapp Center, 2525 Forest Ave.
This historic event will recognize Martin’s commitment to the University and to the community, celebrate a new chapter in Drake’s history, and honor centuries of ritual in academia and the pursuit of higher learning.
All Drake faculty and staff members are invited to wear their academic regalia for a procession to begin the inauguration ceremony. Special guest Stephen Freedman, provost of Fordham University, will introduce President Martin. Freedman served as academic vice president at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., from 2002 to 2007, where he was a mentor and colleague to Martin.
The event will also feature remarks by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad; Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Jay Byers; and Larry Zimpleman, chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees and former president and CEO of The Principal Financial Group.
An accomplished academic administrator, teacher, and legal scholar, Martin joined Drake following 10 years at Gonzaga University, where he served as dean of the School of Law, the university’s acting academic vice president, and the university’s executive vice president. He has also served as professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, and as an active duty U.S. Air Force staff judge advocate officer in England, Germany, and the United States.
During his first year as Drake’s president, Martin advanced campus diversity and inclusion efforts, worked to strengthen relationships with the Drake Neighborhood and Greater Des Moines community, and introduced a visionary new continuous improvement process for strategic planning. He’s also overseen groundbreaking on two new academic buildings as part of the University’s $65 million STEM@DRAKE initiative.
Drake will livestream the inauguration ceremony at www.drake.edu/stream.
More information is available online at www.drake.edu/inauguration.