A new endowed fellowship providing research support for graduate students in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology was started in May 2001 by a joint contribution from Professor Emeritus Leslie Martin and Helen Thacker Hill, an alumnus and major benefactor to the College of Education. The fellowship was named in honor of Professor Martin.

The Leslie L. Martin Graduate Fellowship in Educational and Counseling Psychology is the second joint contribution between Martin and Hill to provide research support to students seeking post-graduate degrees. Their first cooperative effort created the Martin-Thacker Scholarship which benefited students in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling.

Les Martin was a charter member of the Department of Higher Education and Adult Education. Martin, Collins Burnett, and Charles Elton were the first three faculty members in the new higher education department. Later, higher education merged with social and philosophical studies to form the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation. During his tenure, Martin served as department chair, director of the UK Counseling Center, and dean of men.

Acting Dean Ed Sagan and Les Martin

Martin became an emeritus professor on June 30, 1986.

Helen Thacker Hill is a distinguished member of the College of Education's Alumni Hall of Fame. She completed post-doctoral work in continuing education and higher education in addition to earning her bachelor's and master's degrees from the college. In 2000, she was named the College of Education's Philanthropist of the Year.

Hill is a principal contributor and active alumnus with the College of Education. In three of the college's six academic departments, Hill has established graduate scholarships, fellowships, and a professorship.

The Leslie L. Martin Graduate Fellowship was matched dollar-for-dollar by the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Research Challenge Trust Fund. The fellowship will be awarded by the dean of the College of Education from a list of candidates suggested by a committee formed from the educational and counseling psychology faculty. Recipients will be provided funds in support of their research projects toward the completion of a master's or doctoral degree.

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