EMU Today

YPSILANTI- The Mid-East Honors Association's (MEHA) James Ruebel Scholarship is awarded annually to a student member of the MEHA who demonstrates commitment to academic endeavors, community engagement, leadership, and service to their campus community. For the second time in five years, an EMU student has received this honor. 

Kyle Martin, a senior environmental science major, explained how he felt about earning the Reubel scholarship. “It’s been a struggle to fund college while participating on a Division-1 athletics team. I’m the only one out of six kids in my family to obtain a college degree, and I still plan to pursue a master's degree and possibly a PhD. This scholarship will help pay for my final academic year and let me concentrate on finding funding for graduate school.”

Martin received the Reubel Scholarship after being nominated for the award by the EMU Honors Dean, Ann Eisenberg. Eisenberg nominated Martin because, "Kyle has made significant contributions to the EMU honors community while also excelling in so many other contexts within the institution -- athletics, research, community service, etc. We are especially grateful to Kyle for suggesting that we create an online Honors orientation course module on Canvas and then for spending months creating video modules to ensure that students understand the benefits and opportunities the college offers as well as requirements for Honors graduation.” 

Eisenberg also mentioned Martin’s wide array of leadership and civic involvement. He has served as team captain of the men’s track-and-field team for the past three years and as vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He worked with other students to found an EMU chapter of the Sierra Club and is a Marketing and Outreach Fellow in the Honors College. After completing an internship with the Huron River Watershed Council in the summer of 2022, Martin has continued to volunteer with the organization, including in a summer program at a local community center, where he teaches second and third-grade students about watershed science and water quality through interactive hands-on learning experiences. 

Martin is proud to have brought the MEHA scholarship to Eastern for 2023-2024. “When I learned about Eastern Michigan University’s environmental science program,” he stated, “I jumped at the opportunity to follow my interests in a rigorous setting. As a high school student, I never saw any African-American males working as environmental scientists, so, when I entered college, I wanted to show others that they, too, could find a place in STEM, regardless of their appearance or background.” 

When asked about his future plans, Martin responded “For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about learning about and preserving the environment. After I graduate, I plan to earn a Master’s degree in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology. Eventually, I want to earn a Ph.D. in ecology, so I can research the behavioral ecology of ungulates and teach at the university level.”

For more information about the James Reubel Scholarship, visit https://mideasthonors.org/resources/scholarships/ruebel/.

About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 14,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its graduate school. National publications regularly recognize EMU for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. Visit the University’s rankings and points of pride websites to learn more. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website. To stay up to date on University news, activities and announcements, visit EMU Today.