[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 18, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10231-H10232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTINE MARTIN, NEW J-SCHOOL DEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my congratulations 
to Christine Martin, who was recently named dean of the Perley Isaac 
Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University.
  Dean Martin lead the school of journalism in an interim capacity for 
1 year before receiving a permanent appointment. In that short term, 
she has greatly contributed to a first-class faculty with the addition 
of award-winning journalists George Esper and Terry Wimmer.
  Mr. Speaker, in tribute to this talented, well-respected educator and 
journalist, and in recognition of her many achievements, I provide for 
the Record a recent newspaper article written on the occasion of her 
appointment as dean and extend my congratulations.

                  Martin Selected As New J-School Dean

                        (By Chandra Broadwater)

       Christine Martin, a West Virginia University journalism 
     professor and interim dean of the Perley Isaac Reed School of 
     Journalism, was selected as the permanent dean of the school 
     last week.
       The selection of Martin formally concluded a nationwide 
     search for the position.
       Martin was named to the post of dean after the search was 
     narrowed down to three total finalists.
       ``I think that the school of journalism will be very well 
     served with Chris as dean,'' Dean Bill Deaton of the College 
     of Human Resources and Education and chair of the Journalism 
     Dean Search Committee said. ``She's demonstrated through her 
     progress as interim dean her ability to effectively work with 
     different media in the school.''
       Martin will be the first woman to lead the school and the 
     sixth dean in its history.
       ``I've worked with Chris since I came to WVU in 1996 and I 
     had also known her from a Pennsylvania paper that we both 
     worked at,'' journalism professor and search committee member 
     Leslie Rubinkowski said. ``I know her as being an excellent 
     journalist and good editor. She brings a lot of these 
     qualities to her job.''
       Rubinkowski also acknowledges that Martin did a great job 
     in getting projects within the journalism school started.

[[Page H10232]]

       ``Chris has spearheaded many projects in the last year,'' 
     she said. ``Under her guidance, we are redesigning the 
     journalism curriculum. The way that scholarships are awarded 
     has been changed and Journalism Week, which faded away in the 
     last five years, was revived.''
       In addition to noting Martin's work in creating the Vietnam 
     war correspondent women's panel, Rubinkowski ultimately felt 
     that Martin was chosen as dean of the journalism school 
     because of the respectable and likeable persona that she 
     reflects.
       ``People like and respect her because she's a good 
     journalist and leader.''
       After coming to WVU in 1990 as an associate professor, 
     Martin directed the school's writing program, chaired the 
     news editorial sequence and coordinated its honors program.
       Before coming to WVU, she taught writing, literature and 
     journalism at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, 
     Pa. Martin also worked as a reporter, education writer and 
     news editor for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and the 
     Uniontown Herald-Standard.
       Martin is also a 1999 Freedom Forum Teacher of the Year, a 
     1998 Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year (the only one 
     in West Virginia), a 1997-98 WVU Foundation Outstanding 
     Teacher and the 1996-97 Journalism Teacher of the Year.
       Martin also began a program that brings together WVU and 
     state newsrooms called, ``Bridging the Gap: A Personnel and 
     Resource Exchange.'' In addition to her work with WVU, she 
     conducts writing workshops for newspapers across the state.
       Martin also co-directs the reporting and writing fellowship 
     program for college graduates at the Poynter Institute in St. 
     Petersburg, Fla. every summer.
       Martin earned her undergraduate degree in English from 
     California University (Pa.). She also holds a master's degree 
     from the University of Maryland, where she is currently 
     completing a Ph.D. in American studies.
       Martin currently is in Vietnam, pursuing her interests in 
     female war correspondents who covered the Vietnam War. She 
     was unavailable for comment.

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