Getting to Know You ➡ Tammy Martin

Tamara (Tammy) Martin is a clinical instructor in the College of Education.

Can you give us a brief timeline of how your career led you to UIS?

In K-12 education, I served as both a teacher and an administrator. While still serving as a building principal, I started at UIS as an adjunct instructor in the Teacher Education Program. My role continued to expand as I took on additional duties as a university supervisor working with students during their student-teaching clinical experiences. I then became a visiting instructor and transitioned into a full-time clinical instructor, where I currently assist students with their clinical placements and teach clinical classes.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I enjoy reading both professionally and for pleasure, although I must admit that I need to make more time for both. I also enjoy traveling; my husband and I have a trip to Aruba planned for next year to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I enjoy daily exercising, with my favorite being swimming laps outdoors. I also love watching any Illini sports. My family—husband Kirk and children Emily, Abby, and Carter—are all Illini grads. We enjoy tailgating at Illini football games, and we are season ticket holders for basketball. Emily and Abby were both members of the Illini swim team, and my husband and I enjoyed traveling to all of their meets.

Where have you lived or traveled?

I have only ever lived in Illinois: Danville as a child—I went to Danville High School (with more than 500 in my graduating class), Urbana-Champaign for undergrad, and currently, Mason City—a very small town—with around 50 in a graduating class (quite the contrast from where I grew up). My husband is a farmer, so I am pretty permanently planted there now (no pun intended). I enjoy small-town life, where we farm corn and soybeans and raise feeder cattle.

What’s your guilty pleasure snack?

Any kind or flavor of popcorn—cheddar, caramel, plain (especially movie theater popcorn with lots of salt and butter)—and I also indulge in a fountain soda while enjoying my popcorn. Whenever I am traveling and stop at a gas station to get a snack, you can count on me to buy popcorn!

Getting to Know You is recurring feature in the Chancellor's Newsletter to highlight our many talented UIS employees.