Rebecca Yoonhee Martin

2024 Marjorie E. Kettell Distinguished Alum Award

Named in memory and honor of Dr. Marjorie E. Kettell, Class of 1947, this award is presented annually to bestow institutional recognition on one Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House alumna who has distinguished herself in her personal or professional life, in her intellectual pursuits, or in her dedication to service of community, country or society.

Rebecca Yoonhee Martin has worked as a librarian and administrator at the Harvard Graduate School of Education since 2015. In 2019, she was honored by her colleagues with a Harvard Heroes award. Prior to working at Harvard, she worked as a librarian at the Boston University School of Law. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University (2011) and a BA in International Relations and BS in Communication from Boston University (2007).

A key driver of Rebecca’s work in academic libraries is the chance to serve and support first generation students - particularly first generation graduate students who commonly “don’t know what they don’t know” about navigating higher education settings. This was her own experience as a student at BU, and was an important reason she wanted to work on the HERAA Board.

Rebecca is an active member of several organizations in the library profession such as the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association and Joint Council of Librarians of Color. She also works as an anti-racism educator for academic libraries with the consulting firm Do Better Be Better, LLC. Her experience in anti-racism education and organizing stems from her time working with the Radical Reference librarian collective and at the Yvonne Pappenheim Library on Anti-Racism at Community Change, Inc., under the mentorship of librarian, educator, and activist Dr. Myrna Morales.

While living in the H.E.R. House, Rebecca served as Steward and on several committees, including the Activities Committee where she helped support the first Eat for Equity dinner. Her senior year, she was honored by her classmates with the Emma Sleeper Award. Upon graduation, she served on the HERAA Board in various capacities from 2007 until 2022 including as Database Secretary, chair of the Website Committee, President, and Past President, under the mentorship of Dr. Marjorie Kettell and Hillary Johnson.