Bill L. Smith, director of the Martin Institute and Program in International Studies, claims to have the best job on UI's campus. A historian by training, he finds the combination of fields of study embodied in the International Studies degree fits his interests perfectly, prompting him to embrace the interdisciplinary program wholeheartedly. He says that one of the great things about working with the Institute and Martin School (as well as the affiliated Borah Foundation) is the chance to study new topics every year, which is a rare treat for an academic. He points to the uncommonly engaged and consistently excellent students affiliated with the Martin Institute as one of the true joys in life.