A new scholarship will support graduate students while honouring the memory of Martin Arno, a PhD student in the Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) who passed away in 2022.
Made possible through a major gift from Martin’s mother, Heidi Arno, the Martin Arno Memorial Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship will support new or existing PhD students in the DSR based on academic merit. Recipients will be dedicated to deepening our understanding of religion and teaching the next generation of students.
“Heidi's generosity in remembering Martin and considering the department as an important community in his life is remarkable. This gift will empower graduate students for many years to come,” says Professor Pamela Klassen, chair of the department.
“Everybody knew Martin; he was very outgoing and a deeply creative thinker.”
Martin’s father, Thomas Arno, passed away just eight months after Martin, and it was his wish to commemorate his son’s passion for learning.
“I hope this scholarship will greatly benefit PhD students at U of T,” says Heidi Arno, who regularly visited Martin in Toronto. He often told her stories about his friends and supportive faculty.
Arno's gift of $100,000, combined with U of T matching funds, will create a $250,000 endowment, which will generate an annual income for the student of approximately $10,000. The award is renewable, meaning it can provide ongoing support as recipients progress through the PhD program.
Martin’s dissertation, Apostles Behaving Badly: Defending the Indefensible in Mediterranean Antiquity, focuses on how ancient writers of the Bible interpreted and rewrote stories that painted Christianity’s founders in a negative light.
“Martin saw the deeply human and interesting aspects of how religion worked,” says Professor John Marshall, Martin’s PhD supervisor. “I often think about the way he reacted to strange elements of the beginnings of Christianity, and I think he acted very authentically in response to the strangeness he saw.”
“He was always intense, motivated and enthusiastic. Even as he faced difficult times, I admired his perseverance and the way he faced his challenges.”
Outside the classroom, Martin was an accomplished musician, drumming for bands throughout his life. His passion for music and academia made an impact on everybody he met.
“Martin was always genuine and bracingly honest,” says Fereshteh Hashemi, the department’s graduate administrator. “I always knew when he was coming down the hallway because I would hear him jingling. He used to wear a lot of jewelry, bangles and bracelets.
“One of the last emails I had from him was around Thanksgiving and he wrote: ‘We all need to be thankful for so many things and I’m thankful for you and the help you provided me’.
“He was really sweet.”
You can make your own contribution to the Martin Arno Memorial Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship.
Article reproduced in full from the original by David Goldberg, Arts & Science News, with kind permission.