James A. Martin

James (Jim) Martin is a tenured Professor of Social Work and Social Research and a retired Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with fifty-five years of professional Social Work practice. Jim holds a current designation at Bryn Mawr as a Research Professor, and he is actively engaged in providing consultation and training services to military and civilian mental health providers in Ukraine.  Jim is a widely published and respected scholar with more than 100 clinical, research, and policy publications that address a broad array of topics important to the well-being of military members, Veterans, and their families. His scholarship, teaching, and public service focus on the well-being of individuals, families and communities, and his research and civic engagement addresses military and Veteran populations. A decorated Army Officer, Jim’s twenty-four year military career included a wide array of clinical, research, senior program management (command) and policy assignments. Jim was the senior Social Work Officer in the First Gulf War Combat Theater and prior to his military retirement, Jim served in the Pentagon as the Executive Assistant to the Army Assistant Surgeon General for Medical Research & Development and as the Senior Medical Advisor to the Army Director of Science and Technology. During his tenure at Bryn Mawr, Jim has held a number of appointed as well as elected College and GSSWSR faculty service positions. He served twice as Chair of the College's Committee on Academic Priorities and served as Special Assistant to the President for Information Technology, leading the design and initial development of the College's Library & Information Technology Services (LITS). Jim is a recipient of the Bryn Mawr College McPherson Fellowship for excellence in teaching, research, and service. He was the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work recipient of their 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award for Social Work Practice, and he received the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston College's School of Social Work. In 2016, Jim was recognized by the National Association of Social Work Foundation as a Social Work Pioneer. 

Research and Scholarly Interests: Military and Veteran-connected behavioral health; loss and grief across the life course, aspects of grief leadership among military leaders and senior first responders, as well as mental health issues related to interpersonal violence.

Substantive Specialization: Clinical practice with individuals, families, and groups; community assessment and program evaluation; human services consultation and survey research.