Dr. Turpin is a professor of Sociology at the University ofSan Francisco (USF). She received her bachelor’s in Psychology and Ph.D. inSociology at the University of Texas at Austin. She has received USF’sDistinguished Teaching Award and the College Service Award, as well as anHonorary Doctorate in 2015. She founded USF’s Women’s Studies Program and served as Chair of the Sociology Department before spending 17 years in theUniversity administration, as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs(2010-2015); Dean of Arts and Sciences (2003-2010); and Associate Dean(1997-2003).
The San Francisco Business Times named her one of the most influential women in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and “forever influential” in 2015.
Her research addresses the causes and consequences of violence, the role of gender in warfare, the sociology of the Cold War, and the impact of Russian media on the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. She has published several books and numerous articles, book chapters, and papers at professional meetings.
Professor Turpin served as Chair of the AmericanSociological Association’s Section on Peace, War and Social Conflict as well as the Peace and Justice Studies Association.
During her times as Dean and Provost, Professor Turpin worked closely with Professor Stanley Nel to boost the university’s international enrollment. She also created a number of special programs to ensure that international students, particularly those from China, were able to adapt quickly to their new environment, were well cared for, and able to excel in their studies.
Together with her husband, Professor Robert Elias, Dr.Turpin founded Skybridge College Consulting, a company that provides individualized college admissions consulting services to students from across the world. Over the last few years, they have assisted students in gaining admission to some of the most prestigious universities in the United States.
