Bio

Dr. Martin and Karen Simpson are the proud parents of Emily Simpson, a Planetary Science major and the 2020 Farmer Scholarship recipient.

Karen and Martin have strong ties to another fine university in the state (the University of Florida), having received their degrees from UF and remained there as faculty.  Martin, originally from Illinois, retired last year from his position as English Professor and as the Director of UF’s Writing Studio. He now spends his time writing humorous political satire, managing their rental properties, and renovating old homes in Gainesville. Karen’s degrees are in health education, and she is the Director of a CDC-funded Tuberculosis Training Center in UF’s College of Medicine and Emerging Pathogens Institute. She’s also a master gardener volunteer for Alachua County and enjoys creating stained glass pieces for their old homes. They enjoy travel and look forward to visiting Emily while she’s studying abroad at Oxford during the summer of 2023.