Dr. James Turk, left, receives the Dean's Impact Award from MU College of Veterinary Medicine interim dean Cecil Moore.  (Photo courtesy Cherie Chapman)

James Turk, professor of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Pathobiology, was recently awarded the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine's Dean's Impact Award. The award is given in recognition of sustained contributions to the college and excellence in service.

Dr. Turk earned a BA in Biology at Washington University St. Louis in 1973, DVM at MU in 1977, and completed a pathology residency, post-doctoral fellowship and PhD at Washington State University. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Prior to being recruited by Drs. Larry Morehouse and Joe Wagner to the MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Veterinary Pathology in 1985, Dr. Turk was an associate professor at Louisiana State University's College of Veterinary Medicine where he received his first Norden Distinguished Teacher Award in 1984.

At MU he served as Section Leader in Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry, Pathology Core Leader, and Faculty supervisor of Laser Capture Microdissection.

He has coordinated approximately 25,000 biopsy/necropsy accessions in the VDML from 1985-2006.

He was presented the Gold Chalk teaching award in 1999 and 2002, the Merck Award for Creativity in Teaching in 1996, a second Norden Distinguished Teacher Award in 1997, and the Golden Aesculapius Award in 1996 and 1999. In 2005 he received the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence.

After early retirement from MU, he will begin a second career in cardiovascular disease research with Pfizer Global Research and Development, Chesterfield, Mo.

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