National Humanities Medal Awarded to HLC Board of Trustees Member 

Photograph courtesy of the White House

Dr. Robert Martin, President of the Institute of American Arts (IAIA) and a member of the HLC Board of Trustees, was recently recognized as a 2022 National Humanities Medal recipient. On October 21, 2024, President Joe Biden awarded 19 medal recipients from 2022 and 2023 during a private ceremony at the White House. 

According to a statement from the White House, Dr. Martin was recognized with the award for “Dedicating his career to the academic achievement of Native American students… Dr. Robert Martin has led Tribal colleges and launched Indian Studies programs at institutions of higher learning across the country to strengthen Tribal self-determination and empower future Native American leaders.” 

Dr. Martin has been president of the Institute of American Indian Arts since 2007. During his tenure, he has led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan and a campus facilities master plan resulting in academic program expansion, growth in student enrollment, construction of four new buildings on campus and the launch of a successful capital campaign. 

He has served as president of multiple tribal colleges and universities throughout his career, including Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. When he served as president of Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) in Sells, Arizona, the institution achieved HLC accreditation and was designated as a 1994 Land Grant Institution by the U.S. Congress.  

Dr. Martin is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Kansas and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University. 

“Dr. Martin’s contributions to the HLC Board of Trustees have been invaluable, and I greatly appreciate the depth of experience he brings to the position,” said HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley, “I am delighted to see that his important work with tribal colleges and his achievements in higher education have been recognized with such an esteemed honor.” 

Other 2022-2023 medalists recognized at the ceremony include 23^rd U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, historian Jon Meacham, and actor LeVar Burton.