Meet Dr. R. Elaine Turner, CALS Sr. Associate Dean

The CALS Ambassadors want to help you get to know the leaders of our college a little better. We developed questions to ask each of our three deans. Following are Sr. Associate Dean Elaine Turner's questions and answers. To learn more about Dr. Turner's professional duties in CALS, visit www.cals.ufl.edu/faculty_staff/turner.shtml. 

Where did you grow up?
Wooster, Ohio, which is the location of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station) affiliated with The Ohio State University.

What is your favorite hobby?
Handbell ringing

If you could have any super power, which one would you choose?
The ability to stop time for everyone but me, so I could get caught up on work before anyone could give me more to do.

What is your favorite place to eat in Gainesville?
Mildred's Big City Cafe

If you could live in any home on a television series, which one would it be?
"Robin's Nest," which was Robin Masters' beachfront mansion in Hawaii on Magnum P.I.

If you could have dinner with any famous person, who would it be and why?
I've had a hard time with this question -- my favorite diner companion is my husband, Allen. As far as contemporary public figures, I think I would enjoy dining with Michelle Obama -- a well-educated professional woman who seems to have effectively balanced career, family and the pressures of public life.

Turner Family: Mitchell, Elaine, Allen & Ted

What is at the top of your bucket list?
Retire from UF and successfully audition to be a member of the Raleigh Ringers.

What one piece of advice would you give to a new student?
"Keep your options open" -- it was the advice I have always gotten from my father; and what it means to me is to be open to new ideas and experiences whether those are a unique class, a different major or minor, a student organization, study abroad, etc.

If you had to pick an area to study other than what your degrees are in, what would it be?
If I were starting over, I might choose Food Science instead of Dietetics/Nutrition -- the chemistry and flavor of food is endlessly fascinating to me. Also, I always thought it would be interesting to attend law school and medical school -- just to learn, with no pressure of exams or grades or expectation of practice in the field.

What was the most memorable thing you did in college?
Spending 10 months as an exchange student at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.

What activities/sports did you participate in during high school?
My primary activities were in music: marching band, symphonic band, orchestra, jazz band.

What is your pet peeve?
I can only have one? Then I'll go with when people, especially those who should know better, don't get the name of the college right. Although we were the College of Agriculture in 1906, we have been the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences since 1999 -- I was at the faculty meeting when we voted to change the name. And, it has been an uphill battle ever since for folks to get it right -- Agricultural and Life Sciences. And yes, I'm ok with using "Ag" instead of "Agricultural" so long as you say "Ag and Life Sciences."