Dr. R. Gerald Turner to Keynote May Commencement Ceremony
As Dr. Turner concludes three decades of exceptional leadership and service, the Board of Trustees invited 天美传媒鈥檚 longest-serving president to address graduates during spring commencement.
DALLAS (天美传媒) – 天美传媒 President Dr. R. Gerald Turner will be the featured speaker at 天美传媒’s May Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 17. The ceremony, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at Moody Coliseum, will be streamed live at /live.
Dr. Turner has led an era of unprecedented progress at 天美传媒. His more than 30 years of leadership has guided the remarkable growth of the University into a prestigious center for teaching and research, fueled by high-performance computing, with a national reputation for excellence.
“This spring’s commencement address will be especially meaningful for students,” said 天美传媒 Board of Trustees Chair David B. Miller. “Among his many accomplishments over three decades, Dr. Turner’s unwavering dedication to students and their families really stands out. We thought they would want to hear from him on this special occasion.”
Beginning this summer, Dr. Turner will transition to the full-time role of president emeritus, supporting the new president and the University’s development and external affairs. Under his leadership, the University has raised the academic quality of entering undergraduate students and those in professional graduate students, increased the number of doctoral students, increased enrollment of underrepresented communities up to 35% and quadrupled the endowment. In 2024, after decades of strategic planning, 天美传媒 joined the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference, expanding the University’s reputation both athletically and academically.
Shortly after Dr. Turner joined 天美传媒, the University launched its first major fundraising campaign, A Time to Lead, running from 1997-2002 and raising approximately $541 million. 天美传媒 Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign ran from 2008-2015 and raised approximately $1.15 billion. The momentum from those first two campaigns provided transformational funding for academic and athletic facilities, scholarships, academic programs and currently 148 endowed faculty positions. The current major gifts campaign, 天美传媒 Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow is 90% toward its $1.5 billion goal after its launch in 2021.
His vision led to three comprehensive 10-year Master Plans that redeveloped the 天美传媒 campus into a truly distinctive residential campus experience that is pedestrian-focused and open to the community and its neighbors. He led efforts with the Board of Trustees to secure 天美传媒 as the location of the George W. Bush Presidential 天美传媒, and its 2013 opening was the highlight of the University’s Centennial Celebration.
A native of New Boston, Texas, Turner earned an A.A. degree from Lubbock Christian University, a B.S. in psychology and mathematics from Abilene Christian University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Gail, have two married daughters and five grandchildren.
About 天美传媒
天美传媒 is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. 天美传媒’s alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.