Carrie Martins is the Coordinator of Faculty Development Initiatives in the Office of Global Learning in the UF International Center (UFIC). Prior to joining UFIC, she served as an academic advisor in UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, a role she began in October 2020. Previously, she worked in Penn State University’s Office of Global Programs, first with international student programming and support, then as an education abroad advisor. Carrie also has experience working with students in Brazil and is fluent in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. She holds a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from UF and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Political Science from the University of Delaware, where she participated in study abroad programs to Costa Rica and Argentina. In her free time, Carrie enjoys gardening, exploring Florida’s beaches and springs, and playing music with family and friends.

Carrie Martins

Carrie Martins is the Coordinator of Faculty Development Initiatives in the UFIC Office of Global Learning, where she helps support faculty in incorporating internationalization at home strategies into their courses. 

Carrie is from a small town in rural Pennsylvania called Fairfield, and her love for international education started with her decision of which college to attend.  “I chose the University of Delaware (UD) because I wanted to study abroad as soon as possible, and they offered programs that freshmen were eligible for, unlike many other schools,” said Carrie. “I started with a Study Abroad in Costa Rica for 5 weeks and later did a semester-long program in Argentina.  I also participated in and co-led service learning abroad in the Dominican Republic.”  While earning her Bachelor’s in Political Science and Spanish with a specialization in Portuguese, Carrie worked as a TA for Portuguese classes and volunteered for a non-profit that supported immigrants from Latin America. In her final year at UD, she began working at the English Language Institute, which is what set her on her professional path of international education.  

After graduating, Carrie moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where she lived for almost 2 years, working at a business that supports students who want to study in the US, Canada, and the UK. During that time, Carrie had a full-circle moment in the form of connecting with a Chinese student who had been one of her English Language Institute mentees. Carrie explained, “She participated in a study abroad program to Brazil and ended up in the same city!”  She and her former mentee continue to keep in touch to this day. Carrie reflected, “I love learning with and from the international students.  It’s amazing because I get to learn and grow so much, all the time.”

Carrie and her husband Dr. Samuel Martins (Assistant Professor at UF) moved to Gainesville in 2020, when she started working at UF CJC Online as an Academic Advisor and also began working on her Master’s degree in Latin American Studies. It was here that Carrie first got connected with the Office of Global Learning. She explained, “Because of the master’s I was pursuing, I contacted Dr. Mary Risner before I even moved to Florida to talk about virtual exchange.”  Dr. Risner connected Carrie with Paloma Rodriguez, Director of the Office of Global Learning, and she was able to shadow the Virtual Exchange Training run out of OGL before supporting a similar program run by Dr. Risner in the Center for Latin American Studies.

Every year, the UF International Center celebrates International Education Week by recognizing the achievements of students, faculty, and staff in promoting international education.  In 2021, Carrie was awarded the Staff International Educator of the Year award for her work at CJC.  She supported the creation of the first Virtual Exchange (VE) project in UF CJC Online, which was facilitated by Dr. Colleen McEdwards from UF and Dr. Juan-Pablo Osman from Universidad del Norte in Colombia. In collaboration with OGL, Carrie guided the faculty through the VE partnering process and supported their project implementation, using the knowledge and connections she had gained from the VE Training.

Carrie joined the International Center’s Office of Global Learning in 2022. “In an institution this big, it’s not always easy to get connected to the resources you need,” said Carrie.  In her newest role, she helps faculty connect with campus resources and partners abroad to help make their courses more global. Last December, she finished her master’s program and this year published her thesis research on instructors’ experiences implementing virtual exchange in the U.S. and Mexico as a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Virtual Exchange. She explained, “I feel really privileged to be able to work with the faculty who are the backbone of providing these experiences to the students!” She is dedicated to the objectives set by the UFIC—to expand the reach of international education to as many students as possible.

“Carrie’s support for faculty has a wide impact across campus. Currently, 1,800 students at UF engage in virtual exchange projects that Carrie has helped develop through her work training faculty and helping them find international partners,” said Paloma Rodriguez, Director of the Office of Global Learning. “Carrie is cheerful, very organized, and easy to work with. She is a collaborative and wonderful colleague,” added Paloma.

When she’s not hard at work, Carrie enjoys gardening, playing soccer, and making music with her husband. “Samuel plays a lot of different instruments, and I sing—the easy part!” jokes Carrie. Carrie’s commitment to the goals of the institution is like part of her DNA. Before she made a career helping to internationalize students’ college experiences, she was internationalizing her own. She stated, “I want every student to know that no matter their academic area or interests, there is always a way here at UF that you can add an international component, even without traveling.”  Carrie is an integral part of the amazing team that can show you how!

Story by: Terrence Funke