The College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) of Jackson State University welcomes alumnus Dr. Timothy Turner as its new chair of biology.
Turner, who earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from JSU in 1981, began his new role July 1.
Dr. Richard Aló, dean of CSET said, “Dr. Turner’s passion is in alignment with our mission to develop students who are forward-looking and learner-centered through intellectually stimulating educational experiences. This will help them reach the highest levels of academic attainment and growth. We are happy to have Dr. Turner join our team.”
Previously, Turner worked for Tuskegee University, where he served six years as deputy director of Research and Training for its National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care. Also, he was program director of the Center for Biomedical Research/Research Centers in Minority Institutions for five years. He also was lead principal investigator for Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership for 11 years.
The historically significant National Center for Bioethics was established in 1999 after President Clinton apologized for an untreated syphilis study by the U.S. Public Health Service on African-American men in Macon County, Ala.
Turner said “My desire to serve in this position is simple: I want to give back to the university and department what was given to me. Jackson State University and its biology department are responsible for building the foundation leading to all of my subsequent career and personal successes in life. In order to build the biology program in terms of curriculum and research, we need to establish and build collaborations and partnerships with a variety of institutions. This will allow us to expand our capacity and capabilities and positively affect our students, faculty, staff and community.”
Furthermore, Turner said, “Being able to expose our students to more opportunities will allow them to step outside their comfort zones and either create their own novel and unique professions or excel in established professions.”
Turner’s work at Tuskegee University facilitated interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research and training in humanities, social sciences and the life and biomedical sciences. As well, his work addressed biomedical research specific to minority health and disparities. He has worked to prepare the next generation of scientists.
Turner received a doctorate in endocrinology/tumor biology from University of California, Berkeley. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in developmental biology from University of California San Francisco and a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular and cellular biology from University of Alabama. In addition, he has more that 30 years of field experience and is a distinguished researcher and scholar.
Turner’s wife, Dr. Rita Harvey-Turner, is also a JSU alum. She is chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Tuskegee and Montgomery, Ala.