Chris Turney
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Christian Turney
| image = Turney Svalbard (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = In Svalbard May 2018
| honorific_prefix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSA|FGS|FRMetS|FRGS|FHEA|size=100%}}
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}} {{citation needed|date=March 2022}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence =
| citizenship = British and Australian
| nationality =
| fields = Sustainable Development Goals
Clean technology
Climatology
Earth Science
| workplaces = University of Technology Sydney
University of New South Wales
University of Exeter
| alma_mater = University of East Anglia
Royal Holloway, University of London
| thesis_title = Isotope stratigraphy and tephrochronology of the last glacial-interglacial transition (14-9 KA BP) in the British isles.
| thesis_url = https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.722997
| thesis_year = 1998
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for =
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards = Frederick White Prize (2014)
Australian Laureate Fellowship (2010)
Bigsby Medal (2009)
Philip Leverhulme Prize (2008)
Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal (2007)
J.G. Russell Award (2004)
| footnotes =
| spouse =
| website = {{URL|christurney.com}}
}}
Christian S. M. Turney {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRMetS|FRSA|FGS|FRGS|FHEA}} is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Technology Sydney. He was previously the Professor of Climate Change and Earth Science and Director of the [http://www.essrc.unsw.edu.au Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre] and the [http://www.14carboncycle.com Chronos 14Carbon-Cycle Facility] at the University of New South Wales.{{cite web|title=University of New South Wales|url=https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-chris-turney|website=University of New South Wales|access-date=1 December 2017}}
Education
Turney was educated at St Bede's School, graduated from the University of East Anglia with a BSc in environmental science, and completed his PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Research career and impact
Turney is an internationally recognized Earth and climate scientist and leader. He was awarded the Frederick White Prize by the Australian Academy of Science in 2014 for contributions to understanding natural phenomena that impact human lives.,{{cite web|title=Frederick White Prize winner, 2014|url=https://www.science.org.au/past-winners/2014-awardees#white|website=Australian Academy of Science|access-date=6 March 2016}} the inaugural Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal by the International Union for Quaternary Research in 2007, a Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2008, the Bigsby Medal of the Geological Society of London in 2009, and the J.G. Russell Award (2004) by the Australian Academy of Science. In 2010, Turney was awarded a five-year Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship to investigate tipping points in the Earth system. He was previously Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Exeter.
In 2013−2014, Turney led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, a privately funded expedition to the Antarctic in the "Spirit of Mawson", to investigate environmental changes across the region and communicate the value of scientific research. Scientific findings include the recognition of a 1965 Carbon-14 peak preserved in "the Loneliest Tree in the World" and shrubs growing on Campbell Island, New Zealand, that offer a possible marker for the proposed Anthropocene Epoch in the geological timescale.{{cite journal|title=Global peak in atmospheric radiocarbon provides a potential definition for the onset of the Anthropocene Epoch in 1965|journal=Scientific Reports|year=2018|doi=10.1038/s41598-018-20970-5|last1=Turney|first1=Chris S. M.|last2=Palmer|first2=Jonathan|last3=Maslin|first3=Mark A.|last4=Hogg|first4=Alan|last5=Fogwill|first5=Christopher J.|last6=Southon|first6=John|last7=Fenwick|first7=Pavla|last8=Helle|first8=Gerhard|last9=Wilmshurst|first9=Janet M.|last10=McGlone|first10=Matt|last11=Bronk Ramsey|first11=Christopher|last12=Thomas|first12=Zoë|last13=Lipson|first13=Mathew|last14=Beaven|first14=Brent|last15=Jones|first15=Richard T.|last16=Andrews|first16=Oliver|last17=Hua|first17=Quan|volume=8|issue=1|page=3293|pmid=29459648|pmc=5818508|bibcode=2018NatSR...8.3293T}} On the return home Turney's ice-strengthened vessel became trapped by a substantial breakout of sea ice. His book on the expedition's discoveries and the team's experiences trapped by sea ice were published in Iced In: Ten Days Trapped on the Edge of Antarctica.;{{cite web|title=Iced In: Ten Days Trapped on the Edge of Antarctica|url=http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/35466|website=Kensington Books|access-date=1 December 2017}} in Australia and New Zealand, the same book was published under the name of Shackled.{{cite web|title=Shackled|url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/shackled-9780670079117|website=Penguin Books|access-date=1 December 2017}}
Industry and government leadership
Turney was a Founding Director and now scientific advisor to New Zealand cleantech company CarbonScape, which has developed patented technology to produce and engineer carbon-negative graphite from sustainably-sourced biomass to be used in lithium-ion batteries.{{Cite web|url=https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-chris-turney|title=Professor Chris Turney|website=research.unsw.edu.au|language=en|access-date=2020-03-13}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.christurney.com/|title=Home to Science and Discovery...|website=www.christurney.com|access-date=2020-03-13}}
In November 2021, University of Technology Sydney announced that Turney was going their university in January 2022 as their new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research.{{cite tweet |user=UTSResearch |number=1463656011252723714 |title=Former ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Chris Turney will be joining UTS in January as our new Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research).}}
Turney is a Non-Executive Director to Cicada, Australia's leading incubator for startups and scaleups working on deeptech innovations.{{cite web|title=Welcome to Australia's home for deep tech|url=https://www.cicadainnovations.com|website=Cicada|access-date=1 April 2021}} He is also a Non-Executive Director to the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
On 23 April 2025, Professor Turney was announced as Deputy Principal Research and Impact at Heriot-Watt University. He will lead the development and growth of Heriot-Watt’s Global Research Institutes, continue the advancement of the Research Futures Hub to support a thriving research culture for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, and champion impactful, globally relevant research through strategic partnerships with industry, government, and communities. https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/university-welcomes-two-new-deputy-principals-to-drive-strategic-vision
Publications
Turney has published more than 240 research papers,{{cite web|title=Chris Turney Google Scholar|url=https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=BcKoMuoAAAAJ&hl=en|website=Google Scholar|access-date=1 March 2018}} 1 textbook and four books,{{cite book|title=Bones, Rocks and Stars: the Science of When Things Happened|url=https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781403985996|website=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2006|doi=10.1007/978-0-230-55230-2|access-date=1 November 2017|last1=Turney|first1=Chris|isbn=978-0-230-55194-7}}{{cite web|title=Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from Climates Past|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3083413-ice-mud-and-blood|website=Palgrave Macmillan|access-date=1 November 2017}}{{cite book|title=1912: The Year the World Discovered Antarctica|url=https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/1912/|publisher=Text Publishing|date=25 July 2012|isbn=9781921922725|access-date=1 November 2017|last1=Turney|first1=Chris}} attracting more than 40,000 citations. He has an h-index of 69 on Google Scholar (60 on Scopus). This output put Turney on the 2018 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher list, representing the 1% most cited scientists in the world. In the past six years Turney has led Category 1 research projects worth more than $6 million (with a career total of $61 million).
Awards
- Australian Academy of Science Frederick Stone Award (2014)
- Australian Laureate Fellowship (2010){{cite news |url=https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-technology/unsw-excels-laureate-awards |title=UNSW excels in Laureate awards |date=6 July 2010 |work=University of New South Wales |access-date=3 May 2020 }}
- Geological Society of London's Bigsby Medal (2009)
- PhilipLevehulme Prize (2008)
- International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) inaugural Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal (2007)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{University of Exeter|state=collapsed}}
{{Portal bar|United Kingdom|Biography}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turney, Christian}}
Category:Alumni of the University of East Anglia
Category:Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London
Category:Academics of the University of Exeter
Category:Academic staff of the University of New South Wales
Category:Fellows of the Geological Society of London
Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
Category:Fellows of the Higher Education Academy