What can a mechanical engineer learn from a historian about mentoring students? How might a physicist, an expert in community engagement, and a scholar of student well-being approach the same complex problem? At Georgia Tech, those conversations are taking shape through the inaugural Martinson Faculty Fellows cohort, which brings together 12 educators and academic leaders to enrich the student experience in the John H. Martinson Honors Program.

Launched in fall 2026, the Martinson Faculty Fellows Program draws on the expertise of faculty across the Institute. Their fields span engineering, the natural and social sciences, sustainability, experiential education, student success, and institutional research. The shared goal is to help Honors Program students think across disciplinary boundaries, build meaningful relationships with faculty, and connect what they learn to challenges beyond the classroom.

Each Fellow brings a distinct perspective, from sustainable construction materials and evidence-based science teaching to inclusive engineering education, public history, community-based learning, and student resilience. Together, the cohort represents a wide range of academic fields and campus units. Their range of experiences is part of the program's design. By bringing educators with different approaches into one learning community, the Fellows initiative creates opportunities to exchange teaching ideas and develop mentoring practices that respond to students' varied interests and goals.  According to Faculty Director Amy D'Unger, 

One of the things that distinguishes this cohort is not only the breadth of expertise the Fellows bring, but their shared interest in creating learning experiences that reach beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. I’m especially excited about what can happen when these faculty learn alongside one another and then bring that exchange of ideas to our students, helping students connect their Georgia Tech education to questions of purpose, progress, and service.

The Fellows also have a direct role in the Honors Program's implementation of the Leaders in Progress and Service graduation distinction. The initiative invites students to reflect on their values and consider how their knowledge and experiences can help address complex challenges and contribute to their communities.  Under a two-semester rotating model, Fellows spend one semester teaching Honors Program sections of GT 2030: Progress and Service Forum and another mentoring students pursuing immersive learning experiences. The foundational course encourages students to consider complex issues from multiple perspectives while developing a clearer sense of their own professional values, identity, and responsibilities.  

For students admitted to the Honors Program in summer 2026 or later, the new curriculum includes this three-credit foundational course. Students who earn a B or higher can then advance to immersive learning experiences. These may include undergraduate research, entrepreneurship, internships and co-ops, study or work abroad, campus leadership, sustained community service, etc.  The experiences themselves can vary widely. One student might investigate a technical problem with a research team; another might work with a community organization or explore how an internship informs future career choices. What connects the experiences is the opportunity to learn through doing, with faculty guidance that helps students consider not only what they accomplished but also why it matters.

Faculty mentorship from the Fellows is intended to make those connections more intentional. Through conversation and guided reflection, Fellows can help students link their activities to academic interests, personal growth, and the broader responsibilities of leadership and service. The relationships may also introduce students to faculty perspectives outside their major or intended career path. Executive Director David Torello expresses his vision for the program this way.

My hope for the Honors Program is that every student leaves Georgia Tech with a strong sense of purpose, meaningful relationships with faculty, and the confidence to use their talents in service to others. The Martinson Faculty Fellows help bring that vision to life by connecting students with educators from across the Institute who can help them make thoughtful choices about their learning and connect their academic experiences to their values, aspirations, and the communities they hope to serve. To me, those connections are at the heart of an Honors experience that prepares students for meaningful lives as well as successful careers.

The program invests in the Fellows as well as in students. Its collaborative professional-development component gives participants space to share evidence-based teaching strategies, examine high-impact educational practices, and learn from colleagues whose work takes place in different corners of Georgia Tech. That exchange can influence courses, mentorship, and future interdisciplinary partnerships.

Organizers also envision impact beyond the first year. Longer-term possibilities include a Faculty Advisory Council, an ongoing Faculty Learning Community, and opportunities for experienced Fellows to mentor new cohorts or help build additional immersive-learning pathways and community partnerships. Those elements remain aspirations as the inaugural cohort gets underway.

As the Honors Program marks the 20th anniversary of its first student cohort, the Martinson Faculty Fellows Program offers a people-centered investment in its future: more connections between students and educators, more ways to learn across disciplines, and more opportunities to turn knowledge into purposeful action.

2026–27 Martinson Faculty Fellows

October 28th, 2026 06:00 PM