Bayrex Martí, ’06, joined the Law School in October 2017 as assistant dean for student life. He previously was the executive director of admissions and financial aid at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, and served in a similar role at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
“I’m happy to be back at my alma mater,” Martí says. “There’s an energy here, and it’s something I haven’t gotten anywhere else. I feel invigorated coming to work every day.”
Martí follows David Baum, ’89, who served for 22 years in the role before joining U-M’s Office for Institutional Equity. Following in Baum’s footsteps is “wonderful, but surreal,” Martí says, particularly since Baum encouraged him to consider administration as a career path.
As the head of the Office of Student Life, Martí works with faculty and administrators “to deliver consistent and coordinated student support.” He also serves as dean of students, with the goal of “providing a vibrant, challenging, and academically rewarding environment in and out of the classroom.”
For Martí—who was involved with Outlaws, the Latino Law Students Association, and the Law School Student Senate as a student—diversity, equity, and inclusion is a top priority.
“I want to examine the ways we are supporting, empowering, and engaging students, and making them feel that they belong here,” Martí says. Another focus is mental health and wellness, which Martí says often is taboo in higher education.
“The more that students see and hear from us, the more it creates a culture that it’s okay to ask for help and to take care of yourself.”—LA
