The Omicron Delta Kappa honor society has awarded University of Alabama administrator Dot Martin with the annual ODK Living Legend Award. Martin began working for the University more than 45 years ago and currently serves under Provost Judy Bonner as the assistant vice president for administration.
“What Dot Martin is most known for is her knack of solving problems and finding solutions to complicated situations,” ODK President Mark David Kennedy said. “Most of all, she is a person of high character and integrity, and we are thrilled that she is the 2011 Living Legend Award recipient.”
Kennedy said ODK members nominate and vote on candidates for the award at the organization’s spring membership meeting each year. The award is then presented at a reception in the fall semester, which is intended to build a sense of community among the student, faculty, staff and honorary members of ODK by bringing them together to celebrate the honoree.
“I am truly honored to have been selected as ODK’s Living Legend for 2011 and to now be included with the prestigious individuals who have been selected in past years,” Martin said. “I am blessed to have had such a long career at the University and to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful students, faculty and staff. This award is definitely one of the highlights of my time here.”
In her current capacity, Martin advises and assists the provost on budgetary issues, coordinates the development of the annual budget process with the University’s academic divisions and serves as a liaison between academic affairs and human resources for personnel matters.
“Dot epitomizes professionalism and selfless service to the University,” Bonner said in a statement. “Her attention to detail in UA’s budgetary process and in working with Human Resources on personnel matters is, indeed, legendary. I am pleased to join with others in congratulating my colleague and friend as a recipient of ODK’s Living Legend Award.”
Bonner is the fourth provost Martin has worked under since her career at UA began in 1966. She is currently the second-most senior member of the UA community in years of service, according to an ODK press release.
Early in her career, Martin worked alongside Academic Affairs Associate Vice President and engineering professor Willard Gray and played a role in the birth of the computer age at the Capstone.
She also graduated in the first class of the University’s Executive MBA program and has had a significant impact on the University’s administrative operations, including the first electronic budgeting process, hiring processes for administrative staff and employee classifications systems and processes.
Past recipients of the Living Legend Award include former Dean of Students John L. Blackburn, former Director of University Honors Programs Cathy Randall, Athletic Director Mal Moore and Paul Bryant Jr., who currently serves as president pro tempore of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.
