Douglas Honors College professor receives GNAC Faculty Mentor Award

Central Washington University’s Matthew Martinson has received the 2023-24 SAAC Faculty Mentor Award from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).

The lead English professor in the Douglas Honors College (DHC) has dedicated countless hours of his professional and personal life to directly mentoring students, and that led to his selection.

“Teaching at CWU has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Martinson said in a GNAC press release dated August 2. “Working with CWU student-athletes has only increased that joy. They consistently bring positivity, enthusiasm, and a huge work ethic to the classroom and to their teams. I am always grateful to have them in class, excited to cheer them on at their matches, and am honored to be able to help them continually succeed.”

According to his Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC )nomination, Martinson was chosen because of his dedication to the students, athletes, and young adults that he encounters each day.

“He works deliberately to make personal connections and relate to his students rather than just seeing them as the people receiving information and paying his salary,” the nomination stated. “He truly cares about the whole person.”

Martinson was born and raised in Washington, and he earned degrees at four different state institutions. His primary focus was on literature and religion, although he is also fascinated by art and history. In addition to English, he teaches a wide variety of courses for the DHC, where he is also the writing curriculum coordinator.

Martinson is the second CWU professor to win the award since its inception in 2013-14. Geology professor Nick Zentner was recognized in 2021-22.

The Faculty Mentor Award, presented annually by the GNAC SAAC, honors faculty members at member institutions who demonstrate exemplary support to student-athletes, both on and off the field,while representing the NCAA Division II core values of learning, passion, service, resourcefulness, sportsmanship and balance.