Working closely with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Jayne Mitchell, Dr Turner will help lead the development and delivery of the University’s Academic Strategy and provide senior leadership of the institution’s five Schools.

With a 19-year career spanning Glasgow Caledonian University, Robert Gordon University and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Dr Turner has held significant leadership roles and has experience delivering strategic objectives in learning and teaching, research and enterprise, and internationalisation.

His last role was Deputy Dean of the School of Business and Creative Industries at UWS, and prior to that he was Director of Learning and Teaching Enhancement in which he was responsible for a range of initiatives around curriculum renewal, pedagogies for high-quality learning and student engagement, and excellence in online learning.

Dr Turner’s research interests focus upon the socio-cultural exploration of events and sport and the use of such activity to generate economic, social and cultural impacts.

Dr Turner, who will start in the Executive Dean role on Tuesday 14 April, said: "I'm delighted to be joining Leeds Trinity at what feels like an exciting time for the University, with the development of a new academic strategy. I was made to feel incredibly welcome by everyone I met during my recent visit to the campus and throughout the recruitment process and I can't wait to meet more colleagues when I join in April."

Professor Mitchell commented: “We are looking forward to welcoming Dr Turner to Leeds Trinity at a pivotal time in our history. Leeds Trinity University is currently celebrating its 60^th anniversary, tracing its origin back to 1966, when we started out as two teacher training colleges.

“Since that time, we have diversified our portfolio, strengthened our ambition to become a leading career-led and applied university and empower students to fulfil their personal and professional potential. With Dr Turner’s appointment into a newly created role designed to support the implementation of our Academic Strategy, we are laying the foundations for the next 60 years of transforming lives through education.”