University of Wyoming College of Arts & Sciences

J. Scott Turpen serves as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Wyoming. In this role, he leads 14 diverse departments, schools, and centers in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts. These units offer many sought-after degrees and provide much of the core curriculum at UW. Prior to his current appointment, Turpen served as associate dean for the college for one year and chair of the Department of Music for four years. He has established himself as a thoughtful leader of positive change.

In demand as a saxophonist and educator of jazz and classical music, Turpen has performed worldwide, including in the United States, Singapore, Thailand, China, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Switzerland. His extensive orchestral experience includes performances with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, the Macon Symphony Orchestra, the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. Turpen has performed and recorded with some of the most distinguished artists in jazz and popular music, including Stefon Harris, Terell Stafford, Jeff Hamilton, Ari Hoenig, Louis Bellson, Joel Frahm, Eric Reed, Doc Severinsen, Red Rodney, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ray Charles, and The Temptations to name only a few. He has been invited to perform at numerous national and regional meetings of the North American Saxophone Alliance and represented the United States when he performed at many World Saxophone Congresses.

Since his hire at UW in 2001, Scott Turpen has received many prestigious awards, including the Jack P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award, the College of Arts & Sciences Top 10 Teacher Award, the Extraordinary Merit Award for Research, the Extraordinary Merit Award for Teaching, the Top Prof Award, the Student Council Thumbs Up Award, and the Excellence in Advising Award from the University of Wyoming. In addition, he was awarded a Performing Arts Fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. His peers selected him to serve as the Chair of the prestigious Committee for the 2010 North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference.