William (Bill) Martin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Bill Martin (he/him/they), joined the NIU faculty in fall 2023. Prior employment was with the faculty of Aurora University, the Ball Horticultural Company of West Chicago and the USDA-ARS for a post-doc in Madison, WI. Martin hails from a dairy farm in rural WI, and holds a doctorate and masters of science in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison; and a bachelor of science in biology and chemistry from St. Norbert College. He enjoys gardening, music and singing, travel, the outdoors and open spaces, being part of an enormous extended family and is co-owner of a small online Iris nursery.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2002
• M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000
• B.S., St. Norbert College, 1997

Field of Interest

• Undergraduate STEM education, student diversity and student success
• Food systems and food security, horticulture and ethno- and economic botany
• Plant evolution and plant improvement technologies
• Plant biodiversity, ecology and conservation

Areas of Expertise

Plant biology and cellular sciences including but not limited to biotech, botany, genetics, horticulture and plant physiology.

Opportunities

Students interested in the plant sciences are encouraged to seek out a conversation with Dr. Martin via email, phone or in person. Ideas for projects should be cooperative; let's find a way we can work together.