Patricia Turning, Ph.D. Wins Vesper Shirk Award for Faculty Scholarship at Albright College
Reading, PA (05/15/2024) — Patricia Turning, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Albright College has earned the Class of '49 Annadora Vesper Shirk Award for Faculty Scholarship. The award recognizes faculty who best exemplify a commitment to scholarship or creativity, with a focus on a specialized and recent body of work.
Turning is a well-recognized teacher and scholar with expertise in late medieval crime and punishment in the urban realm. Her scholarship introduces us to both the beauties and complexities of the Medieval Era, but also its horrors. This is neither an easy realm to investigate nor explain to Gen-Z students. Her passion is evident through her numerous publications and her commitment to her students, as she makes a point of taking the time to explain the finer details of history and how to analyze them.
In this past year, she contributed a book chapter exploring the spaces of violence in the Middle Ages and also published an article in a top-ranked journal from Oxford University Press. Her prolific scholarship record especially with materials not often accessible online, speaks volumes to her commitment as a scholar.
Named a top national college by Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, Albright College, Reading, Pa., (founded 1856) is home to dedicated faculty who believe that the best academic moments are when students feel inspired and ready to take action. The college's distinctive co-major programs enable students to cross or combine different programs, without taking longer to graduate. Study alongside undergraduate students, adult learners or graduate students, and find your SPARK at Albright College.