David Howard Turpin (born 14 July 1956) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

scholar and the former university president. Turpin was the president and vice-chancellor of the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

(2015–2020) and the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

(2000 to 2013). In 2010, he was appointed a member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

Early life and education

In 1977, Turpin received a BSc degree in

cell biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living an ...

from the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

. In 1980 he received a

PhD degree A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in botany and

oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...

from the University of British Columbia.

Career

From 2000 to 2013, Turpin was the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Victoria. Turpin was appointed the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta in 2015. He did not seek renewal for a second term, and his term at the University of Alberta ended on 30 June 2020. Turpin i
president emeritus
of the University of Alberta. He was appointed as a member of the board of directors for

Polar Knowledge Canada Polar Knowledge Canada is a departmental corporation of the Government of Canada under the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) portfolio. It is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and disseminating knowledge of th ...

for 5 years from January 2023 to January 2028.

Awards and distinctions

* Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Manitoba (2015) * Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) * Member, Order of Canada (2010) * ISI Highly Cited Researcher (2004) * Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) * Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (1998) * Who's Who in Canada (1997) * Who's Who in Science and Engineering (1996) * Who's Who in America (1995) *

Darbaker Prize Leasure K. Darbaker (January 13, 1879, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-February 6, 1949) was a bacteriologist and Professor of Pharmacognosy and Bacteriology at the Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Darbaker served as Chai ...

in Phycology, American Botanical Association (1991)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turpin, David 1956 births Living people Canadian university and college chief executives Presidents of the University of Alberta Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Members of the Order of Canada People from Duncan, British Columbia Academic staff of the University of Victoria University of British Columbia Faculty of Science alumni Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Science Academic staff of Queen's University at Kingston Academic staff of the University of Alberta