Sarah Martin
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Mail code: 2780Campus: Otherus
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Professional Biography
Dr. Martin is a strategic and organizational communication scholar and MBA-trained leader whose research and teaching span government and defense institutions, business leadership, and organizational development. Drawing on rhetorical theory, user-centered design, and organizational communication frameworks, her work examines how public, private, and defense sector organizations design the communication systems and professional writing practices that shape institutional performance and leadership capacity.
Her applied experience grounds her scholarship in real institutional complexity. She has led enterprise-level communication initiatives for the Defense Contract Audit Agency, contributed to research and writing projects with the Center for Defense Management Research and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and directed award-winning professional communication programs at R1 institutions. She launched her career in Fortune 500 sales and marketing with Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated and Altria, Inc., bringing a business leadership perspective that informs both her research and her teaching.
In the classroom, Dr. Martin champions experiential learning and immersive cultural engagement as the foundation for developing leaders who can communicate with authority across the complex, globally distributed organizations they will enter.
Dr. Martin holds a Ph.D. in Technical Communication & Rhetoric from Texas Tech University, an M.B.A. from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Organizational Communication and Knowledge Management in Complex Institutions
Dr. Martin's primary research examines how government, defense, and enterprise organizations design, manage, and distribute critical information across digitally mediated environments. Drawing on rhetorical theory and organizational communication frameworks, her work investigates how communication infrastructure shapes institutional decision-making, knowledge transfer, and leadership capacity. A particular focus is the role of technical and professional writing practices in organizational sense-making, documentation systems, and the communication of expertise within complex institutions.
Digital Transformation, Civic Technology, and Institutional Usability
Her work also applies user-centered design, user experience, and human-computer interaction frameworks to public and civic organizations undergoing digital change. This research explores how government and defense institutions design digital services that are accessible, usable, and aligned with mission requirements, with particular attention to the organizational leadership decisions that drive successful technology adoption and organizational performance.
Leadership Development and Experiential Learning
Dr. Martin's teaching approach centers on experiential and immersive learning models that develop the communication competencies leaders in business, government, and defense organizations need to perform across complex institutional environments. This approach has particular relevance for MBA and executive education programs, veterans' transition, and professional and organizational development initiatives focused on building adaptive, globally competent leaders.
Courses
2026 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 101 | First-Year Composition |
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 101 | First-Year Composition |
| ENG 102 | First-Year Composition |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 101 | First-Year Composition |