Martha Ecker – received her doctoral degree from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. Her dissertation focused on the manner in which the City and the unions negotiated the definition(s) productivity during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s and beyond.

She received a post-doctoral fellowship sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health on the ‘Sociology and Economics of Women and Work.’ Her research during that time period concerned the dual status of public sector workers as employees of the state and recipients of transfer payments.

Professor Ecker came to Ramapo in 1986 and began to work on pedagogy and diversity specifically with respect to the teaching of methods and statistics courses.

She went on to serve in a number of administrative positions and has recently returned to the faculty after spending some time in India working with the staff of the FIreflies Intercultural Centre.

She is interested in doing research on the media responses to the concept of sustainability. She continues to work on issues of labor in the public sector as well.