Alumna Kaili Martin is part of the Alaska Pacific University Advancement Team, where her path reflects a lifelong pattern of curiosity, exploration, and connection. From marine ecosystems to data-driven research, her journey shows how APU can become both a launching point and a lasting community.

Originally from Massachusetts, Kaili chose APU for its sense of adventure and place-based learning. Her first visit to Alaska made an immediate impact. “Within the first 24 hours… I was already all in,” she shared, recalling glaciers, wildlife, and the close-knit campus environment that confirmed her decision.

At APU, Kaili embraced an academic path shaped by exploration rather than a single direction. She studied marine biology, participated in extended field experiences like canoeing the Yukon River, and later shifted into terrestrial ecology for her graduate research. “I realized I want to enjoy my career after school,” she said. “I wasn’t going to let not knowing exactly what I wanted stop me.”

That openness led to impactful research, including a master’s thesis in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and two published scientific papers. Her work focused on shrub ecosystems and carbon storage in Alaska’s changing landscapes.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Kaili continued at APU in student support services, working in disability services while completing her graduate studies. “I had to learn a lot really quickly,” she said. “But it helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect.”

Her career has since included research roles, including with NOAA, alongside continued fieldwork and scientific writing. Through it all, she remains grounded in a balance of curiosity and adaptability. “What I learned at APU is transferable no matter what I research,” she shared.

Today, Kaili continues to explore where science, fieldwork, and analysis intersect while staying closely connected to the APU community that shaped her journey. “APU has helped build the foundation of my adult life… I would be a very different person if I hadn’t pursued my education here.”

Her story reflects what so many APU alumni experience: a place that begins as a campus, but becomes a lasting community.