Montclair State University Receives $5 Million Gift to Transform Honors Program
Philanthropist John Martinson's investment will expand creativity, leadership and experiential learning opportunities - establishing Montclair as a leader in honors education
Montclair, NJ (07/14/2025) — Montclair State University's Honors EDGE Program is entering a transformative new chapter thanks to a $5 million gift from venture capitalist and philanthropist John Martinson. This investment will create a distinct and rigorous academic experience, expanding the program's reach, deepening its curriculum, and opening new opportunities for students - making Montclair a national model for honors education.
In recognition of this extraordinary support, the program will be renamed the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program. With an emphasis on creativity, purposeful leadership development, meaningful community involvement, and interdisciplinary learning, the enhanced honors program aims to provide hands-on experiences that prepare students to become leaders, innovators and change-makers.
A New Era for Honors at Montclair
Reflecting on the significance of the gift, Montclair President Jonathan Koppell said:
"John Martinson's generous philanthropic investment could not come at a more critical moment. By accelerating the growth and evolution of the honors program at Montclair, a university committed to accessibility and inclusivity, this gift underscores that opportunities to achieve at the highest level must be available to bright, passionate, ambitious students of all backgrounds.
"Achieving that goal is the only way for us to thrive as a state and nation. The John Martinson Honors EDGE Program emphasizes hands-on interdisciplinary learning that cultivates students' leadership and creativity, thus preparing them to take on the biggest challenges in business and civic life."
Expanding Access and Inclusion
The gift, Koppell added, "is the latest in an unbelievable series of investments in our shared future."
John Martinson, chairman of Martinson Ventures, a technology venture capital firm based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has donated millions to strengthen honors programs at leading universities nationwide, including Purdue, Georgia Tech, Northeastern, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the University of Pittsburgh. Montclair is the tenth institution to join this growing network of Martinson-supported honors programs.
Through this collaborative network, Montclair students and faculty will connect with peers at these institutions, sharing best practices to accelerate success and build a national honors community.
"This investment reflects my deep belief in Montclair's mission, its accomplished and innovative faculty, strong university leadership, and my confidence that its students will become the next generation of leaders and innovators," Martinson said. "Their creativity, energy and potential to improve the world inspire my philanthropy."
Martinson added, "I am excited to help double the size of the Montclair program and expand opportunities for experiential and immersive learning, graduate school preparation, undergraduate research and leadership development."
What Sets Montclair Apart
The John Martinson Honors EDGE Program (Engage, Discover, Grow, Experience) will feature a curriculum designed to foster imaginative thinking and problem-solving, with creativity embedded as a central pillar.
Students will be challenged to expand their minds, brainstorm and loosen the boundaries of their imaginations," applying creative thinking to real-world problems and day-to-day settings. "They'll come away with the most salient and indelible experiences in college." - Provost Junius J. Gonzales.
This investment will make it possible for the University to recruit and retain more top-tier students to its honors program, including incoming transfers and freshmen as well as current students.
Short-term, high-impact travel experiences are emphasized, making transformative opportunities accessible to students who may not be able to commit to a full-semester program.
The mission is to provide opportunities for those who might not otherwise have access to such experiences, allowing them to "take leaps into places and situations they've never been," says Jeff Strickland, executive director of the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program. Admissions will take a holistic approach, considering leadership, creativity and community engagement alongside academic achievement.
Program Enhancements
- Creative and Leadership Workshops: Expanded offerings, including the introduction of an Honors Leadership Certificate and interdisciplinary research clusters.
- Distinguished Visiting Faculty: Bringing in experts to enrich the curriculum and mentor students.
- Experiential Learning: More international and domestic travel, paid internships, mentorships, research opportunities and study-abroad programs.
- Every honors student will receive a $5,000 "Creative Learning" stipend to support these pursuits.
- Community Engagement: Courses like "Community Matters" connect students with local and global issues, ensuring learning goes beyond the classroom.
- National Advisors: External advisors from Yale, Rice and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville bring national perspectives and best practices to Montclair.
High-Impact Student Opportunities
Senior Jacob Roby, a double major in Policy Studies and Political Science with minors in Chinese and Global Security and Diplomacy, exemplifies the exceptional caliber of Montclair's honors program that Martinson's investment will elevate to even greater heights.
Roby credits Honors EDGE for enabling him to secure prestigious fellowships and internships - including roles as a Research Fellow at the Wilson Center and a Student Fellow at the USDA.
"Montclair State University, especially the honors program, is really what I would call an American Dream university," Roby says. "It's still one of those places left in our country where if you work really hard you can achieve a lot, have great experiences and find people who will help you succeed."
Sara Flores, a sophomore majoring in Linguistics and a first-generation college student, credits the honors program for fostering both academic and civic engagement. As an aspiring ESL teacher, Flores has already presented at a regional honors conference in Pittsburgh and participated in a leadership retreat in Arizona - opportunities she says broadened her perspective on education and community.
The Honors Program has given me hands-on experiences and helped me rethink how I want to teach and learn. It's not just about academics - it's about building a community where students feel like they're part of something bigger." - Sara Flores
Flores' commitment to service is central to her honors experience. She is active in the Bonner Leader Program and volunteers tutoring adult ESL learners in Paterson and on campus.
Building Community and Alumni Connections
As Montclair prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its honors program and the establishment of the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program, there will be a renewed emphasis on engaging and strengthening the alumni network to provide mentoring, job shadowing and career-focused networking for current students.
With sustained success, Montclair envisions growing its program to 1,000 students within five years and positioning the University to evolve the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program into a stand-alone Honors College. The University welcomes investment from additional partners to advance the program and create more impact for students.
"This extraordinary gift elevates the student experience at Montclair," says Strickland. "It is transformational for honors and for the entire institution, enabling students to benefit from what we hope will become a nationally recognized program."
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Building on a distinguished history dating back to 1908, Montclair State University has evolved from an institution that was a recognized leader in teacher education to an R2 research institution ranked as one of the 100 best public doctoral universities in the nation. The University serves 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students with more than 300 doctoral, master's and baccalaureate programs provided by 13 colleges and schools.
Situated on a beautiful 252-acre campus just 12 miles from New York City, Montclair delivers the instructional and research resources of a large public university while retaining the supportive and personalized academic environment that provides a feeling of community more typical of smaller institutions.