Prior to taking on the role of Florida Gulf Coast University’s fourth president in 2017 Dr. Mike Martin had already had a long career in higher education. His first job as an instructor came in 1971 and he’s stayed in higher education ever since — moving on to leadership roles, serving as a vice president, president, or chancellor at six universities before coming to FGCU.
When the job at FGCU opened up after the university’s third president, Dr. Wilson Bradshaw decided to step down, Dr. Martin was Chancellor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at Colorado State University so considered himself at least somewhat retired at that point. But, he saw FGCU’s potential and decided to throw his hat in the ring. Now, six years and two major hurricanes — not to mention a global pandemic — later, Dr. Martin has officially stepped aside as the school welcomes its fifth president, and first female president, Dr. Ayesgul Timur who took the reins on July 1.
We caught up with Dr. Martin by phone from Minnesota last Friday, where he is spending some time with his family as he begins to settle into retirement, to have him reflect on his time at FGCU and what’s on his horizon going forward.
Click here to listen to our conversation with Dr. Ayesgul Timur and others in August of last year about the $22.9 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge that Dr. Martin mentioned.
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