The table is already set

“I don't think of myself as a resource just for students currently in my class. When I am useful to a student, that's the job, and I like doing the job.”

Martín Hoecker-Martinez makes a point of showing up — not because it’s required, but because for this physics professor, it would feel wrong not to. From early-morning starts during Admitted Students’ Day to helping non-physics students with kinesiology questions, he’s there, and it’s getting noticed beyond University of Redlands.

Hoecker-Martinez has been named the inaugural recipient of the Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) “Connectors That Change Lives Award.” It’s an honor that, as he puts it, he isn’t entirely sure he deserves.

“I’m uncomfortable being honored in any meaningful way because what won me the award is part of my job or is something that others are doing, and I’m just one of them,” he said. “Someone set the table for me to do these things.”  

A natural connector

The Connector Award recognizes individuals whose work reflects the NorthStar values of CTCL, honoring those whose contributions exemplify student-centered values, community engagement, and a belief in education as a transformative force. Though the nomination came from several of his colleagues, it began with Sr. Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions, Belinda Sandoval Zazueta.

“Martín believes in the power of relationships and knows he can use them to help students along their higher education journey,” she said. “He exemplifies the values of Colleges That Change Lives by helping students every day see themselves as part of the University by creating institutional change. He builds bridges and is the person to bridge a conversation between faculty, students, and administrators.”

Beyond working to earn U of R its Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and helping lead the pre-orientation RESOLUTE program, Sandoval Zazueta says that “Hoecker-Martinez makes things happen,” starting with the classroom.

Highlighting potential

Inside the classroom, Hoecker-Martinez meets students where they are, uncovering their potential and possible career paths. Teaching physics majors and pre-health students aspiring to become physicians, veterinarians, and physical therapists, he arrives prepared to help them answer why they are sitting in his classroom.

“I like to show them how they can bridge what we’re learning in physics with something they care about,” he said. It’s explaining how physics connects with kinesiology, or why, when softball players hit a ball, it will sometimes sting their hands. “My job is to make sure they don’t just see the class as a hurdle they need to overcome. I’m providing them with relevant tools to see where they are going.”

Setting the table for others to succeed

Working alongside other disciplines isn’t new to Hoecker-Martinez. With a Ph.D. in physical oceanography, he’s spent time with biologists, chemists, and Earth scientists, studying how single-celled organisms swim through turbulent water and how ocean chemistry shapes fluid dynamics.

“Disciplinary boundaries are useful, but they're not absolute,” he said. “No discipline can exist independent of the others.”

It’s a philosophy cohesive with Redlands, where small class sizes provide faculty with more bandwidth for connecting with students.

“I don't think of myself as a resource just for students currently in my class,” he said. “When I am useful to a student, that's the job, and I like doing the job.”

For Hoecker-Martinez, the recognition isn't solely about him — it’s a reflection of the colleagues who built the programs he's shown up for, and a reminder that the work they've started together is far from finished.

“The things the University does that I've gotten to lend a small hand in are really cool and worth highlighting,” he said. “I would be way more comfortable if the story was: here are some cool things the University does, and Martín's around for some of them.”

Discover physics at Redlands.