Pamela J. Turbeville graduated with distinction from the University of Arizona in 1972 as a double major in Family and Consumer Sciences and Education. Upon graduating, Ms. Turbeville pursued graduate degrees (MBA in Finance from the University of Denver, MS in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at Dallas) and executive education (Stanford Executive Program). She was selected to receive the 2000 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Alumni Achievement Award at the Homecoming event. Ms. Turbeville has strong family ties to the University of Arizona. Her father, John H. Turbeville, two aunts, and many other family members received UA degrees. In 2000, to support faculty research and teaching, Ms. Turbeville established The Pamela J. Turbeville Endowment in the Norton School of Human Ecology.
The Turbeville Speaker Series comprises presentations during the Fall and Spring semesters by researchers from UArizona and other universities. These hour-long sessions showcase cutting-edge research spanning multidisciplinary topics with an overarching focus on the wellbeing of children, youth and families. Audiences are invited to attend in-person or virtually. Each presentation is recorded and shared on the FMI YouTube Channel.
Upcoming Turbeville Speaker Series
Speaker: Michelle Téllez, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department
of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona
Time: February 7, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Talk Title: Oral Histories and Digital Archives in the Borderlands
Location: McClelland Park, Room 402 or Zoom
Abstract: How might digital public archives offer a more accessible modality for teaching and learning about marginalized histories in border regions? This presentation introduces two recently launched projects on Afro-Chicanx communities and Mexicana/Chicana activists in the borderlands. I will discuss development, methodology and initial observations of this multi-sited research.
About the Speaker: Dr. Michelle Téllez is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona. Her public and academic scholarship focuses on transnational community formations, mothering, and gendered migration along the U.S./Mexico borderlands. She co-edited The Chicana M(other)work Anthology: Porque Sin Madres No Hay Revolución (2019) and is the author of Border Women and the Community of Maclovio Rojas: Autonomy in the Spaces of Neoliberal Neglect (2021), winner of the 2023 National Association of Chicana/o Studies Book of the Year Award.
Speaker: Steve Rains, Professor of Communication at the University of Arizona
Time: March 21, 2025, 1:00 PM- 2:15 PM
Talk Title: Social Support as Kindness: Properties of Helpful Emotional Support Messages
Location: McClelland Park, Room 402 or Zoom
Abstract: Providing social support to others in need is an act fundamentally rooted in kindness. Despite such good intentions, not all support provision attempts yield positive outcomes. This talk will spotlight the role of communication in delivering (in)effective emotional support. We will discuss the features of (un)helpful emotional support messages, mechanisms proposed to bring about these effects, and the implications of communication technologies. The talk will conclude with some best practices for providing kind emotional support.
About the Speaker: Steve Rains is a Professor of Communication at the University of Arizona. His research is situated in the areas of health communication, social influence, and communication and technology. He is interested in better understanding how and why messages influence people, particularly in health contexts and when using communication technologies. His work in recent years has primarily focused on social support, though he routinely studies digital coping, incivility, persuasion resistance, and related topics. He is especially interested in leveraging computational social science techniques to explore the dynamic communication processes involved in these phenomena.
Previous Turbeville Speakers
Relive the excitement of past events, catch up on presentations you might have missed, or revisit those that left a lasting impression. Our "Past Presentations" tab is your virtual library of intellectual stimulation and enlightenment, accessible anytime, anywhere.
YouTube Channel
Visit our video collection of past presentations. There's always something new to learn and explore in our digital archive.