James A. Turner
Professor of Architecture
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Updated on may 15, 2009
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Jim retired on May 31, 2009.

1 Story
2 Cycling
3 Unabridged retirement story

EDUCATION

  • University of Michigan: M.Arch. 1973
  • University of Michigan: B.S. 1971
  • Piano Lessons with Stephanie Ozer 1985-1988
  • Saxophone Lessons with Don Morris 1995-1997
  • Washtenaw Community College: General Music Studies 1986-2009

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • University of Michigan: Professor 1992
  • University of Michigan: Associate Professor 1985
  • University of Michigan: Assistant Professor 1979
  • University of Michigan: Instructor 1976
  • University of Michigan: Programmer Analyst 1974
  • University of Michigan: Teaching Assistant 1971-73

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • University of Michigan: Associate Dummy, Architecture 2002-05
  • University of Michigan: Chair, Doctoral Program in Architecture 1999

Yes, I have spent my entire career at the University of Michigan. I was doing fine until 2002 when the Chair asked me to move to an office near his and take on a few administrative duties. I enjoyed being upstairs but most days I felt useless. I was given very little to do and I stopped enjoying work.

MUSIC

  • WCC Jazz Orchestra: Alto sax 1990-95, 1996-98
  • Riverside Big Band: Saxophones (sub) 1995-2000
  • Eclectics Small Big Band: Alto sax 1989-1999
  • Ypsilanti Community Band: Alto, tenor sax 1994-1999
  • WCC Top 40 Combo: Piano 2004
  • WCC Saturday Big Band: piano, saxophones 2004-08

It seems like I had a good career, but all I could really do well was write code; and that's what I do now. As a student of architecture, when given a studio assignment, I had no clue as how to proceed; however, in computer programming courses, when given an assignment, I could immediately picture data structures and algorithms, and so, that's what I have done to earn my keep since 1969.

To summarize my time at the College: I began teaching programming to students who didn't want to learn it, and ended by teaching CAD usage, which is something I didn't like to do. In my spare time I wrote miles and miles of code!