Loyola University Chicago

University Staff Council

November 2020

Jennifer Martin

Title/s:  Director of Public Programming

Email: msara@luc.edu

About

Department/School/Division: Fine and Performing Arts

Campus: LSC

Years at Loyola: 13

 

What is your favorite thing about working at Loyola? The people I work with are some of the most creative and compassionate people I know.

What is your most memorable achievement as a Loyola employee? Does surviving 2020 count? In all honesty, figuring out how to translate our programming where we regularly invite people to campus to experience our Theatre Shows, Dance Performances, Music Concerts, and Gallery Exhibitions into a virtual environment has been the most challenging and rewarding thing I have done. It isn’t perfect; I certainly miss doing everything in person, but this pandemic really shook our processes and procedures up and I hope we are able to keep some of the good that has bubbled to the surface.

What does Loyola's mission mean to you? I think in an educational institution, being a person for others is so important. There are always going to be days where something didn’t go as you planned, but not carrying that into all your other interactions is important. In my position I am often the person that helps facilitate the creative projects of our faculty and students. Being able to help their visions come alive in ways they sometimes didn’t even think possible is a really amazing experience. I love collaborating and learning new ways to do things, which turns out to mean I am a great fit for the arts and academia.

What motivates you to succeed each and every day? The people I work with and especially the students that work for me (shout out to The Box Office employees!) motivate me every day with their eagerness, their expansive welcome, and their dedication. I truly believe that I have some of the hardest working students on my staff and that I get to work with some of the most creative educators.

Tell us how you show your Rambler pride: I have some vintage Loyola attire that I love to wear around. I have a lot of newer gear too, but the older stuff is perfectly worn in.

Tell us something most people at Loyola would be surprised to know about you: I did my undergrad at Loyola and just last year got my MBA from Loyola. Next year, my total years on campus will be 20 years, which blows my mind. Loyola has changed SO MUCH in that time as well, so it doesn’t really feel like the same place that I did my undergrad. However, I do have some colleagues that did have me as a student.