Retired professor and head emeritus of biosystems engineering Paul K. Turnquist passed away Dec. 11. Turnquist joined the Auburn family as a department head in 1977 after serving on the faculties of South Dakota State University and Oklahoma State University. He retired from Auburn in 1998.
“Dr. Turnquist left a valuable legacy at Auburn and throughout the nation for his visionary leadership and impact on students and the agricultural industry,” said Arthur Appel, interim dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture. “Our hearts are with his family at this time.”
As head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Turnquist pioneered the forest engineering program and led the department and degree names from agricultural engineering to biosystems engineering.
“Auburn University is a better place because of the dedication and commitment of Dr. Turnquist. His impact on his students and this institution will be felt for generations,” said Mario Eden, dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.
Before earning his M.S. and Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Oklahoma State, Turnquist served as a research engineer for Caterpillar Tractor in Peoria, Ill. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve Critical Skills Program and was a 1957 graduate of Kansas State University with a B.S. degree in agricultural engineering.
Turnquist was an active member of several national engineering and education societies and was the recipient of many national awards throughout his career, including his election as an ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers) Fellow in 1987.
A celebration of life service will be held Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. at Auburn United Methodist Church. Memorial gifts may be made to the Auburn United Methodist Food for the Soul Class Missionary Fund.
