Steve Martin

A true Panhandle Native, Martin grew up in Hardesty and has lived in the Oklahoma Panhandle his entire life. Upon graduating high school, he couldn’t wait to get out and explore a larger city. In conflict with his plans, he found himself a freshman at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

“I don’t know what happened,” Martin remarked about attending Panhandle State for college, “but I realized the things I valued were small-town things.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems, winning the J.R.P. Sewell Award, and having a heavily involved academic career (AITP, choir, show choir, student senate), Steve Martin pursued his Master of Business Administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. With two degrees under his belt, he decided to dive into his career as a consultant. Shortly after, Diane Murphy was contacting him about an adjunct professor position that had opened at Panhandle State. One thing led to another, and Martin became the chair of the CIS department, his current position.

Martin states that his favorite thing about Panhandle State is that he has the freedom to teach students how to think so that they can do anything they want to do. He emphasizes this in every class that he teaches because he was once taught this philosophy when he was a student. “Teaching here is a means of giving back to Panhandle State everything they’ve given to me,” Martin commented.

Currently, Steve Martin wears numerous hats at Panhandle State. He is the administrator for the D2L system, the online classroom network that every professor at Panhandle State utilizes. He has been known to create online classrooms for adjunct professors and help any and every one that might need it with the D2L system. Martin is also in charge of all the infrastructure for Carter Hall; he believes that it’s important to actually perform what he is teaching to students. Along with his behind-the-scenes role in AITP, he is the faculty sponsor for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

Upon learning that he was going to be featured for a faculty spotlight, Steve Martin remarked, “I feel honored. Sometimes you don’t even realize what’s happening because you’re so into your work. Then you look up and something great like this happens!”

In his free time, Martin enjoys cooking. He provides catering for Panhandle State’s Perfect Pairings and also enjoys playing the piano. He represents a fourth generation of farming and ranching in the Panhandle and still takes great delight in that line of work.