Michael Martins
Michael Martins didn鈥檛 know how to play the piano when he first arrived at UAF, but an old out-of-tune instrument in Bartlett Hall intrigued him. Things snowballed from there.
鈥淚 never thought I鈥檇 be able to play, because it鈥檚 such an artistic thing, and I鈥檓 a mathematical guy,鈥 he said.
Deciding he would teach himself, he moved to the residence hall and started a GoFundMe campaign for money to tune and maintain the piano. He set out a tip jar for the same purpose.
After hearing about his effort, several Fairbanks residents donated their used pianos to UAF. Martins helped organize their installations in Wood Center, Hess Recreation Center and McIntosh Hall.
He then started looking for a way to ship two more donated pianos to rural UAF campuses off Alaska鈥檚 road system.
The piano project reflects just one of Martins鈥 diverse interests. He majors in math, but he enjoys working on UAF鈥檚 scientific research projects in his spare time.
At an East Coast college closer to his hometown of Westport, Connecticut, he said, competition would have been tough for the kind of 鈥渂est-in-the-nation鈥 research opportunities available at UAF.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much support, and it鈥檚 literally there for anybody,鈥 he said.
Martins led a volunteer crew of students to the Virgin Islands during spring break to repair hurricane damage. He has also learned French while at UAF.
This cornucopia of artistic and analytical experiences in college has provoked a new philosophy.
鈥淐reativity and intelligence, it鈥檚 all the same,鈥 he said.