- Robert Turpin
- Director of Honors Program, Professor of History
- Email: turpinr@lmc.edu
- Phone: 828.898.8794
- Office: Maple House, Room 8
- Department: Academics
Education
PhD, University of Kentucky
MA, University of Kentucky
BA, University of Kentucky
Common Courses Taught
World Civilizations
Appalachian History
African American History
Sport History
Gender and Sexuality
World War II
Modern Europe
Bicycle History
U.S. and the World II
Scholarly and Professional Achievements
First Taste of Freedom: A Cultural History of Bicycle Marketing in the United States (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2018).
Black Cyclists: The Race for Inclusion (Urbana Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2024)
I was recently awarded a fellowship from the Appalachian Colleges Association to allow me to spend the 2020-21 academic year working on a second book about black cyclists in the United States from 1880-Present.
I am interested in social and cultural history with a focus on issues of gender and race.
Institutional Service and Responsibilities
I serve as Director of the Honors Program and Professor of History. I have served on the Promotion and Contract Conversion Committee for several years and I have served on various other committees in the past such as the Calendar Committee, Faculty Welfare, Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, the Quality Enhancement Committee, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and I have served as the Faculty Athletic Representative.Personal Interests
I grew up near the foothills of Appalachia in Kentucky. After moving to attend college at U.K., I became heavily involved in skateboarding and the local punk/indie/hardcore music scene in Lexington, KY. I then moved to Louisville for law school and became an avid cyclist. When I'm not playing with my two daughters, I still like to ride as much as I can. I have switched gears from the punk music scene to serving on the Executive Committee of the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra. I gravitate toward contemporary classical and experimental pieces.