Interim Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Published: January 6th, 2014

Category: Memos

Dr. Jack Payne, Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Effective January 2, R. Elaine Turner has been appointed Interim Dean for the University of Florida IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

Teri Balser has stepped down as dean to pursue opportunities that will assist the university in transforming undergraduate education.  We are very appreciative of Teri’s efforts as Dean and look forward to working with her in her future endeavors with the University.

UF/IFAS CALS is one of the largest colleges of its kind in the nation serving more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students in agricultural, natural resources, family, youth, consumer, and biological sciences.

Dr.  Turner has a long and proud association with land-grant education at the University of Florida and a number of other leading land-grant institutions including faculty positions at Florida and Clemson and student and professional experiences with the Ohio State University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin.  Prior to her appointment as Interim Dean, Turner served as Senior Associate Dean for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences where she provided leadership for undergraduate and graduate academic programs, including admission, enrollment, curriculum and assessment.

She earned her Ph.D. in Nutrition from Purdue University and started with UF as an assistant professor in 1996. She was promoted to full professor in 2006.

Dr. Turner has a strong commitment to promoting excellence in teaching and academic advising and has been recognized for her exceptional leadership in this area. She has been recognized by the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences as both Undergraduate Teacher of the Year (2000-

2001) and Undergraduate Advisor of the Year (2002-2003) and was named one of two UF Honors Professors of the Year in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Turner received the National Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences from USDA. Dr. Turner received the Morton Wolfson Faculty Award for Outstanding Service to University of Florida Students in 2009.

She currently holds a faculty appointment, as Professor, in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. At the University of Florida, she taught undergraduate courses in introductory and life cycle nutrition, and collaborated in the development and teaching of a graduate course on dietary supplements. She developed distance learning courses for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for continuing education.

Please join me in welcoming and supporting Dr. Turner in this new challenge.

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