One of the twelve individuals selected for induction into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame for 2023 is Dr. Steve Turner, the departing president of Northeastern State University.

Turner will be honored on November 6 along with the other 2023 Higher Education Hall of Fame honorees.

After a more than 30-year career in higher education, the top administrator at NSU is awarded this accolade. Turner began his higher education journey in his late 20s after nearly ten years of oilfield labor, becoming the first member of his family to earn a college degree.

Before beginning his tenure as NSU’s 19th president in January 2012, Turner held a number of positions in higher education from his first job as a campus police officer to his current position, including vice president for administration and finance and executive assistant to the president for governmental relations and economic development at East Central University.

Every university position I have held throughout my career has been an honor, Turner added. Every day that I have been able to contribute to the advancement of higher education in Oklahoma has been a dream come true, and I am thankful for that.

Turner has facilitated projects and activities that will benefit future students and the campus community during the course of his nearly 12-year tenure as NSU president.

Under his direction, Oklahoma’s first inclusive four-year post-secondary credential program for students with intellectual and/or developmental impairments, the RiverHawks Scholar Program, came to fruition. Many Oklahomans continue to have their goals of a higher standard of living realized through this program.

Turner stood up for the university unwaveringly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.