Asst Professor Dr Steven A Martin
Assistant Professor of Asian Studies in Sociology and Anthropology
MY FORMAL EDUCATION – FROM GED TO PHD
My formal education was unconventional. In 1978, at 15 years old, I left home in the Ohio rustbelt and flew to Hawaii where I planned to live in a treehouse.
After working as a beach lifeguard and having some opportunity to travel and surf around the world, I realized that I may have missed something by not having attended high school or college.
Travel made me curious. It was time to go back to school.
Receiving my Master of Arts (MA) in Taiwan Studies from the president of National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Back to School
The first step in my schooling was to take the General Educational Development (GED) test at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1991. This gave me a certificate equivalent to a high school diploma.
Next, I enrolled at the University of Hawaii. I began my studies in 1992, at the age of 30. The first courses I took were Physical Anthropology and World Civilization. These courses, and the professors who taught them, encouraged me to continue learning. Twenty-five years later, I am still learning and sharing my enthusiasm with my students.
MY DIPLOMAS AND THESES
2011–2013
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Management
Prince of Songkla University, Hat-yai Thailand
Dissertation: A Surf Resource Sustainability Index for Surf Site Conservation and Tourism Management
2007–2010
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Hospitality and Tourism Management
Prince of Songkla University, Phuket, Thailand
Thesis: Coastal Resource Assessment for Surf Tourism in Thailand
2004–2006
Master of Arts (MA) in Taiwan Studies
National Chengchi University, Taiwan, ROC
Thesis: Ethnohistorical Perspectives of the Bunun: A Case Study of Laipunuk, Taiwan
1994–2001
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Studies (Experiential Studies in Chinese Culture and Philosophy)
University of Hawaii at Hilo
1998–2000
Associate in Arts (AA) in Liberal Arts (Honors)
Hawaii Community College | Pālamanui Campus (formerly West Hawaii Center)
1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002
Certificate Programs in Chinese Philosophy ( 中國哲學 )
Peking University ( 北京大学 ) Department of Philosophy
Experiential Learning
In my teens and twenties, especially while working as a beach lifeguard and American Red Cross instructor in Hawaii, the ocean was my teacher.
Over time, and as I traveled, I gained an appreciation for learning and teaching (see The Jewel of Travel). Everywhere I went, there were new things to learn, and when I returned, I was able to teach those lessons to others.
I believe that experience has to come first, and as we naturally gain intellectual curiosity, we develop the mental qualities that enable us to really enjoy and benefit from university education – providing us with something that may have otherwise remained inside, undiscovered.
Thank you for looking at my Education page.
–Steven A. Martin
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