Turner, the Founders Professor of literature and creative writing, is described by many as a Renaissance scholar, with interests that span poetry and literature to neuroscience and psychology. Turner came to UT Dallas in 1985 after beginning his teaching career in 1967 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Turner taught a range of subjects, including Shakespeare, Renaissance studies and performance studies, but writing and literature always remained the heart of his work. He has published nearly 50 books, which include collections of poetry, book-length poems, literary criticism, cultural criticism and literary translations. Most of the translation books were done with his longtime collaborator, Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, UT Dallas professor of literature and history, who also retired recently.