UW Receives $2M Endowment to Support Economics Faculty

The University of Wyoming has received a major gift from UW alumnus Paul Turner and his wife, Karleen, who have pledged $1 million to support faculty members in the Department of Economics in the College of Business.

The gift will be matched by the state of Wyoming to $2 million to create the Paul and Karleen Turner Faculty Fund in Economics.

The endowed fund will provide financial support to faculty in the Department of Economics, with preference given to creating a named department head, chair or professorship. The fund may be used for other areas of faculty support, including research, travel, equipment, conference attendance, continuing education or faculty awards.

“The late John Tschirhart, who was my thesis adviser and friend, had a significant impact on how I think about economics,” says Turner, who serves on UW’s College of Business Advisory Board. “John’s impact on my life cannot be understated and figured prominently into the decision that Karleen and I made to start contributing to UW.”

The Department of Economics has a rich history of excellence in applied microeconomics, particularly in the areas of environmental, experimental and energy economics. The department’s graduate programs have received high marks in national and worldwide rankings. The master’s degree program has been recognized by TFE Times as No. 23 on its 2025 Best Master’s of Economics Programs list. The Ph.D. program in economics has been ranked in the top 5 percent of programs worldwide by IDEAS, a prestigious worldwide organization that disseminates economics research. The organization compared graduate programs based on the research record of their graduates.

“We are deeply grateful to Paul and Karleen Turner for their transformative endowment in our economics program,” says Scott Beaulier, the H.A. “Dave” True Jr. Family College of Business Dean. “Paul, a distinguished alumnus, is known by name and reputation among our faculty, and his success commands their highest respect. This visionary gift will further elevate our world-class economics program, enabling us to attract the most talented doctoral students and sustain excellence for generations to come.”

Endowed department heads, chairs and professorships can boost the prestige and reputation of UW. These donor-funded positions can help the university recruit and retain strong leaders who are committed to advancing UW by promoting faculty excellence and supporting student success. Additionally, endowed positions provide dedicated financial resources that can be used to support cutting-edge research, innovative teaching methods, special projects and other needs.

“The success of our students and the reputation of our university are deeply tied to the excellence of our faculty,” says Scott Turpen, UW’s interim provost. “The Turners’ gift strengthens our ability to support outstanding educators and researchers who inspire our students to make a lasting impact. This generous endowment reflects UW’s commitment to investing in the people who make the university exceptional.”

The Turners are both from small agricultural communities in east-central Illinois. Although born and raised just 60 miles apart, they did not meet until 1992, when Paul was a student at UW working on his doctorate in economics. Paul and Karleen were married in 1995.

Paul graduated from UW in 1996 with his Ph.D. in environmental and natural resource economics and regulatory economics. He then started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Chicago. After working as an energy consultant, he now oversees domestic and international business development for Hecate Energy.

Karleen graduated from Maryville University in 1989 and worked as a physical therapist for over 30 years.

The Turners split time between Naperville, Ill.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Laramie. They have two grown children, Will and Ana.

In addition to the faculty fund, the Turners have established two scholarship funds at UW. They created the John Tschirhart Graduate Scholarship in Bioeconomics in 2019 to facilitate and support bioeconomic research in the spirit of Tschirhart’s research. In 2023, they created the Paul and Karleen (Zerrusen) Turner Scholarship in Memory of Tucker Schwengel. The scholarship provides support for graduates of specified high schools in Illinois to attend UW.

“We remain very grateful for our time in Laramie and for our association with UW,” the Turners say. “We hope that we can continue to be impactful in our giving.”

“Many thanks to Paul and Karleen for their generous gift commitment to UW and the Department of Economics in the College of Business,” says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation. “This department has a rich history at UW that will only be further strengthened through this gift. Paul and Karleen fully embraced UW’s continued emphasis on faculty excellence and named faculty positions at UW. Their gift is yet another example of the strong private-public partnership that UW has enjoyed for years now.”

Support for UW faculty -- specifically, named faculty positions -- remains one of the university’s most important fundraising priorities.