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Darrin Martin was officially inaugurated as the 15th president of Bluefield State University Wednesday.
He was selected unanimously last November, after serving as interim president for a year.
Martin previously served in various leadership positions on campus, including Dean of Academic Support and as a member of the board of governors. Martin’s educational career encompasses other roles. He served as a School Improvement Specialist at the West Virginia Department of Education, the Director of Teacher Education and Associate Professor at Concord University and a classroom teacher.
His inauguration comes two years after the departure of former president Robin Capehart. Caperhart resigned amid a Higher Learning Commission investigation and accusations university leadership “did not operate with integrity.”
Martin told the Bluefield community Wednesday that together, they will shape the future of the university and more.
“A thriving Bluefield State means a more educated workforce, stronger businesses, improved health care and more opportunities for all,” he said. “We are not just shaping the future of the university. We are shaping the future of southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia.”
Martin, whose great-grandmother was born just one generation out of slavery, is the third generation of his family to graduate from the university.
His mother, a fellow Bluefield State graduate, provided the day’s theme of “There is so much more to learn” when a young Martin told her he was done with school in kindergarten.
“After all I could recite the alphabet, count to 20, spell my name and tie my shoes,” Martin said. “Robert Fulghum’s book, ‘All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten’ hadn’t been published yet, but I was already living that philosophy. My mother simply smiled at me and said, ‘Oh, dear, there’s so much more to learn.’”
That philosophy is the basis of Martin’s presidential vision, which he said rests on three pillars:
- Access with Excellence — expanding scholarships and investing in faculty and student learning experiences.
- Growing Stronger Together — building partnerships in healthcare, technology, and industry to prepare graduates for leadership in a global economy.
- Culture of Resilience — Guard the Hill — ensuring every student has support to succeed, embracing innovation, and streamlining processes to remove barriers.