Ed and Susanne Martin champion hands-on learning for engineering students
Ed and Susanne Martin’s desire to give back led them to an unconventional path to empower students, not just in the classroom but in competition.
With the establishment of the Ed and Susanne Martin Endowed Student Competition Support Fund, the Martins have created the first named endowment in the Bagley College of Engineering solely dedicated to supporting student competition teams. The fund will provide resources for MSU’s nationally recognized teams, such as EcoCAR, Space Cowboys, Formula SAE and others to help students compete, innovate and represent the university on a national stage.
For the Martins, the gift is personal and purposeful. Though Susanne earned her degree in accounting from MSU in 1979, and Ed studied electrical engineering at MIT, their shared enthusiasm for real-world problem-solving and education has long shaped their philanthropy. They said supporting MSU competition teams felt like a natural extension of their values.
“We’ve been giving to MSU for some time now,” Susanne said. “When this project was presented to us, we immediately felt it was a great way to allow our gift to have a specific and tangible impact.”
A native of Tupelo, Susanne was a first-generation college student. She credits her parents with encouraging her to attend MSU, as they were passionate fans of the Bulldogs whose support for the university originated from their roots in Mississippi’s agricultural community.
After earning her degree from the College of Business, Susanne eventually made her way to New York, where she shifted into a career in fashion merchandising. She met Ed while windsurfing at the beach in Greenwich, Connecticut. They married in 1998 and settled in New England, but her heart remained rooted in Mississippi.
“We still visit friends and family in the Tupelo area,” Susanne said. “And I take every opportunity to deck out in my MSU attire and attend MSU games wherever I can find them.”
While Ed may not have been a Bulldog by diploma, he’s undoubtedly one by spirit.
“Sadly, I set foot in Mississippi and on MSU’s campus for the first time only after I met Susanne,” he said. “I didn’t realize what a wonderful place it is. The people, culture, and learning experiences made a lasting impression on me.”
As an MIT-trained engineer, Ed still carries the problem-solving mindset he honed as a student. He recalled the energy of an engineering design class mirroring the spirit of today’s student competitions. Though he never took the class himself, it left a lasting impression.
“In most engineering classes I took, we were solving well-defined problems,” he said. “But there’s always the unknown factor of what your competitors will do in a competition. That unpredictability better reflects real-world engineering and life.”
These hands-on challenges allow students to apply technical knowledge in dynamic, fast-paced environments. More importantly, they foster valuable soft skills like communication, project management and collaboration—qualities employers value highly.
“Engineering can sometimes be dry, even for those fully immersed in it,” Ed said. “We hope the competition will spark enthusiasm for creative problem-solving in a spirited and fun way. If incoming students anticipate participating in ‘the competition,’ we’ve succeeded. Especially if the Dawgs win!”
That kind of excitement is contagious and deeply needed. According to Robert Green, associate dean for academics at the Bagley College of Engineering, competitions like these are transformative learning experiences, but they are expensive.
“Competition teams allow students to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to design while they manufacture and test solutions to problems within defined constraints, but these teams are often costly,” Green said. “Travel to the competitions is often expensive, and sometimes students pay out of pocket. Funds from alumni allow these teams to offset the often large travel costs, purchase additional materials and pay competition entry fees.”
Without private support, many of MSU’s engineering teams would struggle to stay competitive. Industry gifts help, but the gap remains substantial, especially concerning travel and specialized equipment. Gifts like the Martins’ ensure MSU’s brightest minds don’t miss these formative opportunities.
In addition to their latest gift, the Martins have supported the College of Business, the TK Martin Center for Technology and Disability, and the College of Education. Their generosity reflects a deep belief in the university’s mission to provide transformative education and opportunity.
“Giving back to worthy causes has increasingly become a priority for our family,” Susanne said. “We want to help the next generation of students get as much out of the MSU experience as possible.”
With the Martins’ support, engineering students will continue to build, race, code, fly and solve problems.
“I hope our gift encourages others to explore all the ways they can give,” Ed said. “It doesn’t have to follow a formula. If it helps a student grow, it matters.”
By Shun Pounds, Photos Submitted
