Military Education Expert Joins Data Science Startup Helping Veterans Translate Skills to Civilian Career Paths

KIRKLAND, Wash., Nov. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AstrumU®, a Seattle-based education data services firm using machine learning to translate educational experiences into labor market opportunities, today announced the appointment of Dr. James B. Martin, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former dean of academics at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Drawing on more than four decades of military expertise and more than 20 years working with military students, Dr. Martin will play a key role in supporting AstrumU as it extends its offerings for academic and upskilling recommendations to those in military service.

"Continuing education and credentialing is a way of life in the armed services. The challenge we face today is helping service members-in-transition and veterans to take their skills and accomplishments and pair them with additional education and training to retool for in-demand civilian career paths," Dr. Martin said. "The AstrumU team is pioneering new ways to empower service members and veterans with greater insight into how their skills will translate into the needs of the civilian economy."

In his new role at AstrumU, Dr. Martin will work closely with Chris Hughes, a retired U.S. Army Major General who serves as AstrumU's head of military affairs, to expand the company's military-focused practice area and the development of its career advising solutions for veterans and active-duty service members.

Earlier this fall, AstrumU announced its most significant military partnership to date with the launch of the Junction for Military/Civilian Innovation with Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas to help active-duty service members identify civilian careers. Working with a coalition of regional universities and major employers that includes T-Mobile, the program is helping thousands of active-duty soldiers to identify right-fit career opportunities across a network of some of the region's largest employers.

Dr. Martin brings a wealth of experience in military leadership and the development of adult, continuing and professional education programs for active-duty, National Guard, and Army reserve service members and veterans. Prior to retiring from government service, he served as a professor and then dean of academics for the United States Army Command and General Staff College and chief academic officer of Army University at Fort Leavenworth, which is responsible for providing continuing education opportunities for field grade officers.

"Despite an uptick during COVID in 2020, veteran unemployment rates remain relatively low. However, each year there are thousands of active-duty service members and veterans tasked with the challenge of translating their military-earned skills and experiences into civilian careers and industries," Hughes said. "Dr. Martin's blend of experience in higher education and military leadership gives him a unique perspective on how we can create a more seamless transition from military service into the civilian workforce—and how best to integrate education into that process.

In 2021, Martin was honored by the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy with induction into its Hall of Honor and was awarded the Joseph P. Cribbins Medal as the Distinguished Department of the Army Civilian by the Association of the United States Army. Upon his retirement from federal service, Dr. Martin was awarded the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Army's highest award for civilian service. A distinguished scholar of military history, leadership, and professional military education, Dr. Martin is the author of two books, releasing "The Third War: Irregular Warfare on the Western Border, 1861-1865" in 2012 and "African American War Heroes" in 2014.

About AstrumU®: AstrumU® translates educational experiences into economic opportunity. We are on a mission to quantify the return on education investment for learners, education providers, and employers. We help institutions measure the value created for incoming and returning students, while assisting them in securing industry partnerships that lead students seamlessly into high-demand career pathways. Institutions partner with AstrumU® to drive enrollment and increase alumni and corporate engagement, while extending economic mobility opportunities inclusively to all learners.

SOURCE AstrumU