Ralph Turner wears lots of hats on FAMU’s campus. He’s a distinguished professor of chemistry, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and…a multimillion dollar grant researcher.Turner, who has taught at FAMU since 1967, is the principal investigator for $3,800,997 in active grant projects for the National Science Foundation. They consist of the following:
FL/GA Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: $1,826,997.
FAMU is hosting the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP). Its goal is to increase the number of minority students who earn baccalaureate and graduate degrees in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The program provides its students with a variety of innovative educational support activities specifically designed to boost their retention and graduation rates.
FGLSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate: $1,974,000 (two grants of $987,000).
These grants assist the 2009-2011 FGLASMP Bridge to the Doctorate Program. Based at the University of South Florida, the Bridge to the Doctorate program aims to increase the number of minorities who earn STEM doctorates.
This grant includes money for Bridge to the Doctorate fellows to use for entrance exam fees, research, travel, and laboratory costs as they pursue their PhDs.
Give me a break 1967! This is one of the major problems at FAMU! 43years and still at FAMU! New Blood, New Ideas, New FAMU!
ReplyDeleteCheck ANY "major" university and you will find the same thing. Does not equate to stagnant blood. There are a lot of "new" people. One of our main problems is that we don't get to be active on the Hill enough, if at all. That's what's showing. Break that, I don't mind helping.
ReplyDeleteJust a general statement:
ReplyDeleteLord willing, some of you Thundercats out there who bag on someone's age out there will live to have a tenure like Dr. Turner. If you do, will you step down, simply because of your age or years of tenure at your place of employment? Many of you will eventually regret the statements you make. If Dr. Turner can make a positive impact to FAMU, my suggestion is to leave him alone.
If you are hard-working, kind and sincere, perhaps you can learn how to match or exceed the contributions made like Dr. Turner's. Since I see nor hear anyone making $3.9 million contributions to FAMU lately (exept Dr. Lewis, who is another long-term FAMU dean and professor), my suggestion is to temper your comments according. It reeks of playa hating.
Like my mom says....just keep living...
Before we keep going down this path, let's see if a study can be done. I bet that the lion's share of contributions and research dollars bestowed to FAMU come from people who are 50+. Why? Finances, family obligations (you are still raising baby Thundercats), and general interest required that younger folks have to focus elsewhere. WE understand the situation, and look forward for you to step in. But in the meantime, please think about what you say before you say it. Also, I am not saying younger folks (49 and below, for my definition) don't have a place at the table, but understand you don't necessarily kick out/ignore those who have a long-term grasp of institutional knowledge and long-reaching contacts that make it beneficial to FAMU in the long-term. Perhaps you can learn something so you don't repeat a mistake. Learn patience, and temper it with respect. As I said before, Lord willing, you will be in our shoes.
43 years is too long! Give me a break!
ReplyDeleteI don't care how old or how long he has been here as long as he can continue to bring this kind of money into the institution! You cant toss that type of knowledge away because of his age and tenure!
ReplyDelete7:30 AM,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response. This blatant disrespect of a professor simply because of his age or the number of years he's taught at FAMU is a symptom of a much larger problem in the US and increasingly among youths in our community--the lack of respect we have for our elders. We should actually value the knowledge and wisdom Turner and others bring to the classroom and overall campus environment. Of course, if he or any other professor at FAMU is not fulfilling their responsibilities to the students and the profession, then we should question his effectiveness. However, no one should base their criticism of him simply because of his age.
Respectfully,
A 37 Year Old Alum
I think the "Lifers" missed the point. At FAMU people get jobs and stay 40+ years and what about the 37 year old alum who posted? They should be on their way up the ladder at FAMU with fresh new ideas and their mentor, yes, should be Dr. Turner. Mentor! He can still be as involved as he would like to be, but be it as an elder and he is that. The generational divide in the AAmerican community centers on older people thinking younger people are trying to "take" thier jobs. Wow! They should be proud to have served and should look forward to living long enough to watch a younger person serve. Not serving until they drop dead in their office!
ReplyDeleteYet, what happens is like what we have all seen over in SBI Dean Sybil served untill she couldnt remember and who did she train, what young person did she hand all of her connections to, what young person did she have replace her on the Boards she sat on who could come back to FAMU and lead SBI to new heights, with new ideas and a new vision? Who will replace the Dean of Pharmacy? He stepped down for three months and it seemed like they were going to crash and burn. The key word here is transitions, FAMU needs to help the older folk transition out of their roles and into new roles as QUALIFIED younger rattlers come home after LEAVING and LEARNING in other places around the country and world.
So 7:30 am thanks for the Holmes like sermon, but no thank you. FAMU needs to advance and in order to do so it needs to bring in the youth and respect the old as they retire. With the budget cuts they should target all those on campus over 30+years, all those with 4+ family members "working" on campus, and all those who have no respect for the university.
Education is personal.
ReplyDelete