Martha Walsh

Martha Lane Walsh (she/her) is the Gold Standard. She is Managing Editor of the Journal of Japanese Studies (JJS) and helps manage the UW Japan Studies Program (JSP). The JJS is the top Japan journal and UW JSP a top 10 Program in large part because of Martha’s skillful, stabilizing presence over 45 years. I have been in the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) for 34 years. I and many former and current Japan chairs, JSIS Directors, and JJS co-editors and trustees agree there is no more deserving recipient of the Distinguished Staff Award.

“For almost the entire span of 48 years of JJS, its mainstay has been Martha Walsh, a person who from the beginning struck me as having almost unbelievable competence, good judgement, and organizational ability. During her long tenure the Journal became the leading journal of the field of Japanese Studies. She goes about her work in a low-key, efficient way, ever thoughtful of others, never a harsh word for anyone. She is a person of sterling character,” said JJS’s founder. “Martha is the heart and soul of the Journal of Japanese Studies,” “Martha is the Journal,”

“As editors have come and gone, Martha Walsh has been the unwobbling pivot maintaining its reputation as a world-class publication, a jewel in the crown of UW,” say former co-editors and Board members. As the chair of the UW and JSIS Japan Programs and have done so on and off over 20 years. I have never worked with anyone as competent, reliable, efficient, and caring about her work as Martha. She does more impeccably high-quality work in half the time it takes others.

“It is not an exaggeration to say the UW Japan Studies Program would not have survived through the many years and challenges without her,” said a former Program chair. As JJS’s Managing Editor, Ms. Walsh collaborates with co-editors to choose appropriate referees for manuscripts. Based on their comments, she and the co-editors decide whether to publish, reject or request revisions. Everything is done confidentially. She also helps co-editors pick reviewers for the many books publishers send in for review. Copy-editing, subscriptions, printing and mailing, budgets, the website, organizing and running board meetings and conferences—she does it all.

For the JSP she does finances, curriculum, sets up faculty meetings, takes minutes, arranges international visiting scholars, fellowships, orientations, reimbursements, and informally advises students. She is the Rock the chair leans on for great judgement and knowledge. 46 years later, Martha shows every day through her comments and concerns how deeply she cares about her work’s impact on the lives of students and everyone in the JSP, JSIS, and UW communities.

Tell us why you are nominating this individual

Martha’s most outstanding career achievements are her indispensable contributions over 46 years to making and keeping JJS the top in its field and the Japan Studies Program (JSP) a top 10 program. JJS just published its 97th volume in its 49th year, 46 years with Martha working there, 36 as Managing Editor. Her stellar perfectionism, consistency, reliability, empathy, self-sacrifice, and tireless work make her someone members of the JJS and the JSP have relied on as coeditors, board members, chairs, professors, and staff have come and gone.

She has guided the ship of all things Japan at UW through crises, snowstorms, pandemics, and faculty/staff turnovers. “Martha is the ideal UW staff member. Not only has she worked with utmost professionalism and competence. She is a model of a UW community member who goes out of her way to make every person she interacts with feel included and respected. She is selfless in sharing her expertise and time with those who have no claims on it,” notes a JSIS professor now chairing another department.

Martha started working for JJS on an hourly basis while a high school senior, continued while earning her BA and MA in JSP, and then worked full-time. The professor Martha succeeded as Managing Editor said, “It’s a real talent to be able to improve written work in a way that enhances the author’s prose and makes the final product read just like theirs, only better. We never got a single complaint about Martha’s editing, only praise. No one could handle anything as efficiently as Martha.” I just express appreciation for her invaluable expertise, dedication, and sage advice, and ask her to keep up her exceptional work.

When I was JJS co-editor, several academic presses came asking to acquire JJS. The Board declined because we could not imagine any press running JJS better than Martha. In 2021 Martha helped the Board navigate a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan, which “was complex and at times contentious to operationalize. With Martha’s help, we added DEI language to the JJS website; created gender balance in the Editorial Board; and recruited the most diverse and impressive group of trustees for the Board that JJS has ever seen. Martha’s flexibility and professionalism were key to making this possible,” explained the co-editor.

At the JSP, she anticipates problems before they become crises and provides phenomenal leadership keeping the Program on track. For 46 years she has consistently been a consummate professional, an empathetic, trustworthy person of complete integrity. Staff like Martha are irreplaceable.

What makes this nominee worthy of the DSA?

Martha’s outstanding attitude, competence, reliability, and high standards greatly impact my job. It is invaluable to have someone you can trust and rely on, knowing her judgement is sound and she will keep things confidential.

About a year ago, when a half-time JSP staff member in charge of events and our website unexpectedly announced taking 3 months leave, Martha was unflappable even though this additional work will mostly fall on her. She came up with a list of things that needed doing with posting student fellowships on the website first on her list. She immediately started working with our student assistant to ensure a smooth transition. This work is an overload, completely out of her job description.

Her impact is wide. “Her complete, genuine dedication to the Jackson School makes her an exceptionally valuable part of our community. She has cultivated and maintained the trust of all our faculty and staff, an almost impossible feat to accomplish in a School as large and complicated as JSIS.” “She has terrific institutional memory. I always valued her input and would seek her out because she’s too modest to put herself central stage;” she is “among the most competent and dedicated members of the Jackson School staff,” explained 3 former JSIS Directors.

Unlike other programs that have the Office of Academic Services (OAS) determine courses and times professors teach, Martha works with Japan faculty and tells OAS this information in advance to reduce course time conflicts and ensure the best course selection for students, says the OAS head. “Martha not only supports our time schedule manager and me in our work, but also our advisors.” A previous OAS head told me he relied on Martha’s keen eyes and mind to correct mistakes in his google documents to faculty and staff. Martha dedicates herself to making the whole School and university work as effectively as possible.

She has helped with meetings and minutes for the Director’s office and East Asia Center when staff have been sick or on leave. For decades Martha has edited research papers and books of program professors. She edited a 2005 Association for Japanese Literary Studies volume for our language faculty “making the final product far more professional.” A Japan law professor said when the Law in Japan Journal was passed off to him soon after he joined UW in 1988, “if not for Martha, I would not have lasted even for one issue.” I had a similar experience, benefitting from her extensive knowledge when I became JJS co-editor.

Was there anything else?

Martha is extraordinarily loyal to her job. She was offered a job with a much higher salary a decade or so ago, but she turned it down to keep her steady hand on the rudder of all things Japanese at UW. When UW gave her an unexpectedly large raise some 15 years ago, she came to me concerned about how it would impact JJS’s shoestring budget.

Two decades ago, she helped arrange for a non-Japan professor and her journal, Positions: Asia Culture Critique, to come to UW “because she was invested in building Asian Studies at UW. This was service to the institution above and beyond the call of duty,” explained a former professor. A recent MA graduate who asked Martha for career advice praised her: “Though we had not spoken in 2 years, Martha, with sincerity and goodwill, readily answered my questions, offering industry insights, recommendations about contacts, and a willingness to look over my resume.”

Another time Martha suggested I nominate our deserving Japan librarian for the Distinguished Librarian Award. She won the award and was so pleased by the recognition.

Martha is always punctual and never leaves early or comes in late. She has never missed a deadline. “Being absolutely reliable and consistently excellent–it is very rare that someone can contribute at that level for decades”, said the former head of our East Asia Resource Center. The head of our finance office says Martha’s attention to financial detail is exemplary. Martha has limitless ability to juggle tasks coming from a myriad of directions; she is the most organized person I have ever met!

She is humble, “the often-invisible colleague who works diligently” but never asks for credit or attention. “She sets a high standard for everyone working with and around her, and is an important role model,” says a staff member.
The glowing and raving reviews colleagues sent me for this nomination along with Martha’s consistent superior work standard over 46 years speak for themselves.

Marie Anchordoguy
Professor and Chair, Japan Studies Program and International Studies
Jackson School of International Studies