2023 Focus Award Recipients - Staff

Nicole Martin

Ms. Martin serves as an Access Consultant in the Disability Resource Center on the West Lafayette campus.  She is also one of the leaders for the Peer Mentoring Program through the DRC. The Peer Mentoring Program pairs incoming and current DRC students to foster a sense of belonging and cultivate skills needed to navigate their higher education experiences.  Nicole works to help host socials, workshops awareness activities and other efforts to make this program available to students.

But her work in promoting access and inclusion extends well beyond the confines of her job.  Outside of her role as an Access Consultant, Ms. Martin trains service dogs and runs an Instagram account that highlights the experiences of a service dog named Koda. If you haven’t already, you should check out @servicebearkoda on Instagram – Koda really has gotten out and about on campus.

Nicole has helped build awareness for and understanding of service animals in the Purdue community.  In the summer of 2022, Nicole and Koda worked with University Residences on a training video for their Residence Assistants on the differences between Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals.  For those of us who work in this area, we know that her efforts in helping individuals understand the role and value of service animals is so important.

Purdue is proud to have Nicole Martin as part of its staff and to honor her with a 2023 Focus Award.