A&M-Victoria hires vice president for research, innovation
Texas A&M University-Victoria has hired Maria Martinez as its new vice president for research, innovation and sponsored programs.
Martinez joined the university Monday after previously serving as associate vice president for student access in the Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
“Dr. Maria Martinez is a welcome addition to our team, and I am proud to see her join our leadership as we move forward,” A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree said. “She brings with her more than 30 years of leadership experience including over 17 years expertise in higher education, and her skills will be a gamechanger in supporting our faculty’s research efforts.”
In her role as vice president for research, innovation and sponsored programs, Martinez will serve as the senior institutional leader responsible for advancing the university’s research, scholarship, creative activity, innovation and sponsored programs enterprise. She will provide strategic leadership, assessment, and oversight for programs and services that foster research growth, multidisciplinary collaboration, and external funding development in alignment with the university’s mission and strategic priorities. She also will lead efforts to strengthen the university’s research profile through strategic planning, faculty support, partnership development and effective research administration.
“I am honored to join Texas A&M University-Victoria at such an exciting time,” Martinez said. “There is tremendous opportunity to grow research in ways that support faculty success, engage students, and address regional needs. I am excited to help build a culture of collaboration and innovation that advances A&M-Victoria’s mission and strategic direction. I am inspired by President Hardigree’s leadership and her commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening regional partnerships, and positioning A&M-Victoria for long-term success. In addition, I was drawn to the Victoria community because of the people I met during the interview process. The rich history, along with its welcoming and supportive community, played a major role in my decision to accept this position.”
Martinez holds a Doctor of Philosophy in educational administration from New Mexico State University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor of Arts in government from New Mexico State.
Throughout her 33-year career, she has held leadership roles in many pivotal areas, including strategic operations management, grant and research development, change management, budget and finance, internal and external partnership building, action-based collaboration and much more.
Her higher education leadership roles have included assistant dean for advancement in the New Mexico State University College of Education beginning in 2011. In 2014, she was hired by Texas A&M University-Kingsville to assist with research development efforts and later became the director of research development in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. In 2018, she moved to associate vice president for student access, where she secured more than $25 million in external funding as Principal Investigator.
In addition to her leadership roles, Martinez has authored and coauthored multiple publications and given presentations on the different elements of higher education, including student support services, student success outcomes, post-secondary persistence, the role of comprehensive rural universities and more.
“Regional public universities have a unique opportunity to improve lives and economic development through research, innovation, industry collaboration and meaningful community partnerships,” Martinez said. “The strengths of the South Texas Crossroads region provide potential opportunities for our faculty and students to conduct research in disciplines related to area sectors such as manufacturing, petrochemicals, energy and agriculture.”
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.